China close to making homegrown jet
China will begin trial production later this year of its homegrown ARJ-21, or Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century, Xinhua News Agency reported Friday, describing the aircraft as a potential challenge to Boeing and Airbus’s dominance in the local market.
The jet, which China calls its first completely domestically designed short-haul passenger plane, has passed an “air worthiness appraisal” and is in the final design stages, Xinhua said, citing Huang Qiang, president of the first Airplane Designing Institute with China Aviation Industry Corp. (AVIC I).
Manufacturing of parts and components for the 78- to 105-seat aircraft began in late 2003. Trial assembly will begin by year’s end, with a maiden flight expected in late 2006, the report said.
Source: China Daily, Malaysia Star.
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