CGTN America
Xinhua Photo
The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) said on Wednesday the maiden flight for the C919, China’s first domestically-produced large passenger plane, is scheduled for May 5.
The maiden flight will take place in the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, subject to weather conditions, COMAC said.
The single-aisle jetliner has a maximum capacity of 174 passengers with a range of 5000 kilometers (about 3100 miles).
The aircraft is not 100 percent made in China. That’s because the engines, fuselage, radar and landing gears are imported from the U.S., France and Germany. However, the wings and rudder are Chinese engineered. COMAC said that it will gradually replace the imported elements with Chinese parts, and expects to fly with Chinese engines by 2020.
Analysts say the C919 has improved the aviation landscape in China and given a significant boost to the country’s aerospace industry.
Story compiled information from Reuters, Xinhua and CGTN.
