C919 simulator lands at Beijing air show
Models of COMAC's jet aircraft, including the C919, are on display at the ongoing Aviation Expo China 2019 in Beijing.
A full-scale flight simulator for the C919, China's first domestically developed narrow-body passenger aircraft, has made its debut at the Aviation Expo China 2019 in Beijing.
The simulator is meant to replicate the experience of flying the C919 and is mainly intended for pilot training and technical testing.
Visitors to the show can experience the flight deck, cockpit view and sound system of the domestically developed jet, as well as simulate piloting the C919 themselves, according to Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC), which developed the plane.
As another highlight, a model of the CR929, a China-Russia jointly developed wide-body passenger aircraft, is also being displayed at the event.
The CR929 project recently finished its “concept definition.” The wide-body jet will seat 280 and have a range of up to 12,000 kilometers. It will be assembled in Shanghai, COMAC said.
The C919, with 168 seats and a range of 5,555 kilometers, will compete for orders with the Airbus 320 neo and the Boeing 737 MAX, which has been grounded worldwide since March following two deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
Wu Guanghui, chief designer of the C919, has said it is being developed in accordance with the latest international safety standards and is set to start commercial operations in 2021.
The C919 simulator is exhibited to the public for the first time at the Aviation Expo China 2019 in Beijing which will run through Friday.
COMAC has secured 850 orders from 30 foreign and domestic airlines for the C919. The first C919 made its maiden flight from Shanghai on May 5, 2017.
Meanwhile, COMAC released its market forecast for the next two decades at the air show. It predicts over 45,000 new aircraft will be delivered between 2019 and 2038 with a total value of US$6.6 trillion.
Asia-Pacific will remain the fastest-growing civil aviation market, the plane maker said. The fleet of Chinese airlines will increased to 10,344 by 2038, accounting for 21 percent of all aircraft around the world
Over the next 20 years, Chinese buyers will take over a total of 9,205 aircraft with over 50 seats, including 958 regional jets, 6,119 single-aisle jets and 2,128 double-aisle aircraft with over 250 seats, according to COMAC.
