Scale model of Sino-Russo wide-body jet. (Photo : COMAC)
China and Russia revealed a model of a passenger jet they fervently hope might stand a chance in the marketplace against established airliners from Boeing and Airbus instead of crashing and burning as some analysts expect it to.
State-owned aerospace companies Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia presented a scale model of a wide-body jet they plan to jointly develop. The reveal was made at the ongoing Zhuhai Air Show.
The joint jet making project was first announced in 2014 but progress has hardly been evident since then. COMAC and UAC said they want conduct a maiden flight in 2022 and begin deliveries in 2025 or later.
COMAC said it will establish a 50-50 joint venture with UAC based in Shanghai that should start operations this December.
Neither company revealed any technical specs of the passenger jet or financing details, however. Some western analysts said the production deadlines are a political stunt.
They noted the jet has more chances of failing than succeeding considering the brutal international airline market where China and Russia have practically no experience in. Analysts point out wide-body jets take decades rather than a few years to develop.
COMAC and UAC, however, expect to shortcut this incredibly complicated process to as little as nine years.
The caption on the scale model showed the partners envision three variants of the aircraft based on a basic version that will seat 280 persons and have a range of up to 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles).
A global effort to search for and assess potential suppliers is now under way, said COMAC.
"We will choose suppliers who have rich experience in development, whose products are competitive globally, and who can continually guarantee quality from the development stage until the planes go into operation," said Guo Bozhi, general manager of COMAC's wide-body department.
A key decision will be what engines to use and industry sources believe the jet might use Western engines.
