China's homemade jet C919 successfully completes maiden test flight

China's homegrown large passenger plane C919 takes off on its maiden flight in Shanghai, east China, May 5, 2017. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

After 79 mins in the air, China's homemade jet C919 landed at Shanghai Pudong Airport, successfully completing its maiden test flight.

Zhou Guirong, the deputy chief designer of the C919, said Thursday that the overall localization rate of C919 aircraft can reach over 50 percent, meaning more than half of its components are sourced from domestic enterprises and joint ventures between domestic and foreign companies.

According to COMAC, a total of 16 foreign suppliers have been involved in the C919 program including GE, Honeywell and CFM, with joint ventures covering avionics, flight control, power, fuel and landing gear systems.

Companies under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China have been central to the manufacturing of the C919, producing the aircraft’s head, body and central wing structure.

(Photo: Tu Lei/GT)

“The C919 is a sleek, modern and efficient airplane. It is ready to compete on a global scale, heralding China’s ambitious plans to grow and develop its domestic air transportation industry,” Steven Lien, president of Honeywell Aerospace Asia Pacific, said in a note sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.

COMAC and Honeywell have been working together since COMAC was founded in 2008, starting with the ARJ21 regional jet and continuing with the C919 program.

Honeywell has provided the aircraft its auxiliary power system technology, generating power in flight and starting the main engines before takeoff. Furthermore, pilots use the HonFei fly-by-wire flight control system and advanced Honeywell navigation technology to operate and navigate the aircraft.