China will trial produce the advanced regional jet for the 21st century -- ARJ-21, or a kind of short-haul passenger plane wherein the country possesses the intellectual property, late this year.
It will be the first advanced jet China designs its own in accordance with international practices, which has passed an appraisal for airworthiness. It is believed that the looks of the plane will do away with the monopoly formed by Boeing and Airbus on the Chinese market of airplanes.
Huang Qiang, president of the first Airplane Designing Institute with China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I), said his institute, based at Yanliang near Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, had been busy with the jet's final interface designing, but details of the designing for the plane will be completed by the end of the year.
And systematic designs of the passenger jet have been done and provided by 19 international suppliers, acknowledged Huang, who didn't disclose the exact number of planes that will be turned out during trial production.
The plane's maiden flight will be conducted in late 2006.
According to Huang, ARJ-21 planes will each have a passenger cabin 3.14 meters wide and 2.06 meters high, and designed to have 78 to 105 seats, and they will be capable of flying 39,000 feet above the ground.
So far, AVIC I has so far received orders from three Chinese air companies for 35 ARJ-21 planes.
(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2005)
