It has been a long time in the making, but finally, the Comac ARJ21 – China’s first indigenously designed and built commercial aircraft – is nearing service entry.
The Chinese airframer is targeting 28 November to hand over the first production example of the regional jet to launch customer Chengdu Airlines. It’s a date heavy with significance for the programme, given that it first took to the skies on the same day in 2008.
The fact that its maiden sortie came some seven years ago – work on the ARJ21 actually began in 2002 – says much about the state of the programme and the steep learning curves encountered by the inexperienced Comac.
However, that the ARJ21 is some eight years behind schedule is almost beside the point. Comac is clear that development of the regional jet has always been about gaining experience – in design, development, supplier management, systems integration, and, for both it and the country’s regulator, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), certification.
In other words, all the skills required for future programmes, with the key C919 narrowbody next in line.
Comac is already feeling the benefit of that experience. Chief engineer Jiang Liping, speaking during an interview in Shanghai, said final assembly of the C919 is progressing much more smoothly than on the ARJ21.
These days, the airframer is far more aware of the need to control processes carefully and provide precise specifications to suppliers, she acknowledges.
While final assembly of the ARJ21’s airframe took about six months, it took a little over half that time to bring the C919 together. And the complex wing-to-body join on the narrowbody took only 25 days.
“This is because we had better process control and took more measurements once parts are delivered, to make sure the parts are to standard,” she adds.
Jiang also says that the CAAC has been more involved with the C919 at an earlier stage than with the regional jet, which should enable a quicker certification process.
“The ARJ21 was the first experience for us and also for the CAAC. Things are different now.”
On the ARJ21, that process took eight years from first flight and even now appears incomplete: nine months after gaining Chinese approval, Comac appears to have set aside plans for Western certification of the regional jet.
Sources close to the discussions say the Chinese manufacturer is no longer in direct talks with the US Federal Aviation Administration, and the focus is now on putting the aircraft into service initially in China, with parts of Asia and Africa to follow. It will revisit Western certification only after the jet reaches maturity in five to 10 years.
The US agency has been conducting a shadow certification process on the ARJ21 to ensure that the CAAC keeps to FAA standards.
Nonetheless, Chinese validation is sufficient for now as the overwhelming majority of the 315 commitments for the ARJ21 are from indigenous airlines and lessors.
Still, Comac has yet to secure a production certificate for the programme. It is also working on changes to the aircraft in areas it says do not relate to the safety of the jet, but could affect its operational efficiency.
These include improving how the ARJ21’s anti-icing system functions in the event of single-engine operation, as well changes to the aircraft’s warning systems.
When Flight International took a 2h, non-commercial flight aboard aircraft 105 from Chengdu to Nanjing in late August, the cabin interior of the 78-seat aircraft was in excellent condition. Although cabin noise was noticeable during flight, especially toward the aft section of cabin, near its General Electric CF34-10A powerplants, the average passenger is unlikely to notice any difference over their experience in a typical regional jet.
In addition, Comac’s vice-chief designer Zhao Keliang says it is studying ways to reduce the weight of the aircraft since the first few ARJ21s off the line are “a few hundred kilogrammes overweight”.
A business jet variant should follow in 2016, and a stretched model with capacity for 105-110 passengers is also on the cards. Future improvements over the next two to three years would be to target the competitive advantage enjoyed by the next-generation of regional jets such as the Embraer E-Jet E2 family and the Mitsubishi MRJ.
In the near term, Comac’s challenge will be to prove that it is able to provide reliable aftersales support for ARJ21 operators. Passengers too must accept the type.
But within Comac there is a sense of pride and achievement as the ARJ21 nears delivery and the C919 prepares for its roll-out.
Employees are realistic about the ARJ21’s flawed birth, and know the success of the C919 is more important.
After all, the ARJ21 was never really an end in itself, but a means to one.
Source: Flight International
