By Trevin Christian Casinader
China’s homegrown answer to Airbus and Boeing has much to offer the aviation industry.
Summary
- COMAC C919 can potentially disrupt the Airbus and Boeing duopoly.
- C919 relies on foreign suppliers for parts, but China aims to create homegrown components.
- C919 lags behind Western competitors in efficiency but has garnered hundreds of orders.
For decades, Airbus and Boeing have dominated the jetliner market and established a duopoly that seems unbreakable. For years, the closest rival to the two was McDonnell Douglas, and it was absorbed by Boeing in 1997, by which time it wasn’t putting up much of a fight.
However, China’s COMAC C919 was officially introduced on May 28th, 2023, and has shown it has real potential to disrupt the status quo. Here are five facts about the COMAC C919.
5 Who makes the C919?
A purpose-built organization makes the aircraft
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC) produces the C919. It was founded in February 2008 and is headquartered in Pudong, Shanghai. The government founded the company to reduce China’s reliance on Western technology.
For some reason, if China is sanctioned by either the EU or the US. It won’t be able to receive parts or aircraft, which could cripple its thriving aviation industry. As a result, the Chinese government has given the organization a blank check to achieve its goals.
4 Not completely Chinese
Many foreign suppliers have a hand in the C919
Creating an aircraft from scratch is difficult, and creating an aircraft that will be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is even more difficult.
Photo: Duc Huy Nguyen / Shutterstock
COMAC didn’t have the expertise to build the aircraft, at least for the moment, so many foreign suppliers provided parts for the C919. Here is a list of systems and suppliers for the aircraft:
| Component | Supplier |
| Engines | Leap X1C engine supplied by CFM International |
| Avionics | Rockwell Collins, Honeywell, CETC, GE AVIC |
| Fight Control System (Full Authority Fly by Wire and Advanced Active Control Technology) | Parker, AVIC, Honeywell, MOOG |
| Landing Gear System | Liebherr |
| Hydraulic System | Parker, AVIC |
| Air Conditioning System | Liebherr |
| Electric System | Hamilton, Sundstrand, AVIC |
| Flight Deck and Cabin Interior | FACC, XML |
| Auxiliary Power Unit | Honeywell, AVIC |
| Fire Protection | KIDDE, AVIC |
| Lighting System | Goodrich, AVIC, TM, Jiuzhou, Eaton |
One of the main parts supplied by foreign companies is the Leap X1C engine supplied by CFM International. Currently, it is the only engine available for the aircraft.
However, Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) is developing the CJ-1000A, which will power the aircraft in the future. COMAC expects the engine to power the aircraft by 2030.
China is expected to reduce its reliance on these suppliers in its future aircraft and is on its way to creating homegrown components for future aircraft. However, progress will be slow, as each part needs to be recertified by industry watchdogs.
Related
COMAC Expands C919 Production Facilities To Address Anticipated Capacity Pressure
Under tremendous production pressure, COMAC has begun expanding its C919 production facilities.
3 Specifications of the C919
The fact sheet of the aircraft
The COMAC C919 is a twin-engine, narrowbody jetliner with swept wings, retractable landing gear, a conventional tail, and under-wing-mounted engines. COMAC didn’t try to reinvent the aircraft with the design of the C919. It wanted something that would be a success, and as a result, they played it safe.
The C919 is almost a copy of the Airbus A320. This is due to the A320's ability to carry cargo in LD3 Unit Load Devices, which the Boeing 737 lacks. In addition, the company avoided taking design cues from the 737 because it is a much older aircraft.
According to COMAC, these are the specifications of the two C919 models.
Photo:N509FZ| Wikimedia Commons
| Standard | Extended Range | |
| Exterior Dimensions | ||
| Length | 38.9 m (127.6 ft) | |
| Tail Height | 11.95 m (39.21 ft) | |
| Fuselage Diameter | 3.95 m (12.96 ft) | |
| Wingspan | 35.80 m (117.45 ft) | |
| Wheelbase | 13.47 m (39.61 ft) | |
| Wheel Track | 7.62 m (25 ft) | |
| Interior Dimensions | ||
| Height | 2.25 m (7.38 ft) | |
| Width | 3.90 m (12.80 ft) | |
| Maximum Cargo Volume | 45.2 m³ (1,596.2 ft³) | |
| Weights | ||
| Maximum Ramp Weight | 75,500 kg (166,448 lbs) | 79,300 kg (174,826 lbs) |
| Maximum Take-Off Weight | 75,100 kg (165,567 lbs) | 78,900 kg (173,944 lbs) |
| Maximum Landing Weight | 67,800 kg (149,473 lbs) | |
| Maximum Zero Fuel | 64,600 kg (41,667 lbs) | |
| Operating Empty Weight | 45,700 kg (100,751 lbs) | |
| Maximum Payload | 18,900 kg (41,667 lbs) | |
| Performance | ||
| Range with Max Payload | 2,200 NM (4,074 km) | 3,000 NM (5,556 km) |
| Cruise Speed | 450 kts (833 kmph) | |
| Maximum Speed | 520 kts (963 kmph) | |
| Useable Fuel Capacity | 24,917 L | |
| Takeoff Distance (SL, ISA, MTOW) | 2,012 m (6,600 ft) | 2,125 m (6,972 ft) |
| Landing Distance (SL, ISA, MTOW) | 1,584 m (5,200 ft) | |
| Service Ceiling | 12,100 m (39,700 ft) | |
| Takeoff Thrust | 138 kN (31,000 lbf) | |
| Occupancy | ||
| Flight Crew | 2 | |
| Occupancy (2 Class) | 156 | |
| Occupancy Max | 192 | |
| Systems | ||
| Flight Deck | Proprietary Flight Deck by Rockwell Collins | |
| Engine(s) x 2 | CFM International LEAP 1C | |
2 Not as capable
Lagging behind its Western competitors
The creation of the C919 marks a shift in the aviation industry, especially in China. However, it’s not as capable as its Airbus and Boeing counterparts.
Nearly 80% of the aircraft is made of steel and duralumin. Composite materials only account for 12% of the aircraft’s weight. 7.4% of the C919 is made of third-generation aluminum-lithium alloys. The minimal use of lightweight materials means the aircraft is much heavier than competitors, the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX.
The C919 uses the same CFM International LEAP engines used on the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. The C919's version is named the 1C and produces 138 kN (31,000 lbf) of thrust at takeoff. The engine is just as efficient as its Airbus and Boeing counterparts. However, the C919's range is less than that of the A320neo and B737 MAX.
The weak link is the airframe. The older design and build materials mean the aircraft is less efficient than its competitors. The aircraft is more on par with yesteryear's A320ceo and Boeing 737NG models. Estimates suggest that the C919 burns 10% more fuel per seat than the A320neo.
1 Taking over the world
The aircraft has fielded hundreds of orders
COMAC plans to utilize the C919 and its widebody counterpart, the C929, to enter the world’s aviation market and steal away market share from Airbus and Boeing. While it's far from doing that, the company is already making headway.
All three of China’s main carriers, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Air China, have all ordered the aircraft. Air China has ordered 105, while China Southern and China Eastern have ordered 100 aircraft each.
While its obvious that China’s airlines would gravitate towards its homegrown jetliner, it deals a blow to Airbus and Boeing, which have lost major Asian customers.
Foreign airlines have also purchased the aircraft. In 2023, Brunei-based GallopAir, owned by a Chinese businessman named Yang Qiang, purchased 15 C919s as part of a $2 billion order.
Related
The Last Puzzle Piece In Place: COMAC’s C919 Now Has Orders From All Of China’s Big 3 Airlines
China Southern, like China Eastern, ordered the C919 basic version, while Air China ordered the C919 extended-range version.
Comac
- Business Type:
- Planemaker
- Date Founded:
- 2008-05-11
- CEO:
- He Dongfeng
- Headquarters Location:
- Shanghai, China
- Key Product Lines:
- Comac ARJ21, Comac C919, Comac C929
