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Ralph Jennings

Frank Chen

The maker of China’s expanding family of civilian aircraft has announced new orders for a regional jet and secured a crucial “brain” for its ambitious C929 widebody jet, coinciding with the Singapore Airshow.
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) said on Tuesday that it signed a letter of intent for cooperation with Aviage Systems for the C929’s core avionics processing system, according to a Yicai news report.
Avionics refer to an aircraft’s electronic systems, including communications, navigation, flight control and monitoring – considered the brains of an aircraft.
Aviage Systems is a 50-50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and the Beijing-based Aviation Industry Corporation of China conglomerate. Aviage already supplies avionics systems to Comac’s flagship C919 jets – a model expected to perform a flight demonstration later in the show, which started on Tuesday and runs through Sunday.
China has accelerated development of the C929, a widebody jet comparable to the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. The C929 could eventually fly up to 440 people over a maximum range of 12,000km (7,456 miles), about the distance from Shanghai to New York.
Such advancements aim to help the Shanghai-based Comac compete within and outside Chinese airspace against the established Airbus-Boeing duopoly, as the two manufacturers have long had near-exclusive control over the global market for large commercial aircraft.
On Tuesday, Comac said it had “further deepened” exchanges with clients at the air show, which is held every two years.
“Comac attaches great importance to the Southeast Asian aviation market,” the company statement added, noting that it would “better meet the needs” of customers in the region.




However, while the C929’s brain is officially in the works, what some might consider its heart is still missing. Comac still needs to find a suitable engine for its widebody jet, said Dan Taylor, head of consulting for IBA Group, an aviation intelligence and advisory company.
“Based on publicly available information, our current assessment is that the C929 is in the early design phase but remains some distance from construction and flight testing,” Taylor said.
He pointed to remaining work on the plane’s design and integration, estimating a maiden flight in seven to 10 years.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, Comac announced a deal for six of its C909 firefighting aircraft in China. The client, Shanxi Victory General Aviation, made three firm orders and three commitments of intent.
The aircraft, approved by Chinese regulators in December, comes with 10-tonne water tanks and 19 seats.
The C909 began flying 10 years ago, mostly in China, under the name ARJ21 as a turbofan-powered regional jet with up to 90 seats.
Nine C909s are now flying in Southeast Asia with local airlines, the planemaker said. Indonesia-based TransNusa Aviation, Lao Airlines and VietJet Air of Vietnam have deployed those aircraft on more than 20 routes and flown a combined 700,000 passengers.
Comac’s C909 medical-use plane, a C909 operated by TransNusa and the narrowbody C919 aircraft are on display at the air show, the company said.
It said the C919, akin in size to an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, would fly at this month’s event following the plane’s overseas debut at the same air show two years ago.
Chinese airlines have placed hundreds of orders for the C919, but it has not found clients abroad.


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After Comac secures core flight-system supplier for its widebody jet’s ‘brain’, sourcing the ‘heart’ of the C929 remains a lofty challenge


After Comac secures core flight-system supplier for its widebody jet’s ‘brain’, sourcing the ‘heart’ of the C929 remains a lofty challenge.


China’s C929 widebody lands partner to power next-gen flight mind

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}After Comac secures core flight-system supplier for its widebody jet’s ‘brain’, sourcing the ‘heart’ of the C929 remains a lofty challenge

After Comac secures core flight-system supplier for its widebody jet’s ‘brain’, sourcing the ‘heart’ of the C929 remains a lofty challenge