During the Airshow China 2012 concluded in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province over the weekend, another 50 C919 jumbo jetliners were ordered from the Shanghai-based Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), bringing the total sales of the aircraft to 380, from 15 buyers. It was quite a feat for a jetliner that is still in the design stages.

The manufacturer's prospects were further brightened with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US's Eastern Air Lines, for future sales of the aircraft.

However, given the fact that the C919 project has been backed by the Chinese government since its inception, accusations of political favoritism have begun to surface, particularly given the fact that it remains untested.

The COMAC has outlined a tight agenda for production of this aircraft after the plane received approval from the government in 2008. It is expected to hit the market in 2016 after tests are completed in 2014.

More than meets the eye

The COMAC was keen to trumpet its accomplishments. "The signing of the new orders and MOU indicates that the C919 has once again won recognition in both domestic and overseas markets," said the company's general manager He Dongfeng, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

However, a glance at recent history shows that there is more to the situation than the C919's as-yet-unproven abilities.

China's medium and long-term science and technology development plan, which spans 2006 to 2020, specifically includes the manufacturing of a locally-produced jumbo jet.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid great attention to the project, which has the potential to define the country's jumbo jet production capacity.

The State-owned aircraft manufacturer was established in 2008 and tasked with the duty of fulfilling this national goal. The C919 project came on to the scene shortly afterward.

The purchase order of 380 C919s was quite unusual. Airlines are typically cautious when adding a new type of plane, especially one that remains untested, the China Times quoted an airline worker as saying on November 15.

Among the 15 customers, 14 are domestic airlines, and the exception is the General Electric Capital Aviation Service (GECAS), a subsidiary of General Electric that has been a partner of the COMAC on the C919.

"We signed the contract to demonstrate our support for the COMAC," Mark Hutchinson, president and CEO of GE China, said after the deal on November 13. The GECAS ordered 10 planes in 2010.

"We're confident about the aircraft. And it's normal in the industry to order aircraft without seeing the real model," said Liu Li, CEO of the GECAS in China.

However, unlike other manufacturers that demand a deposit be paid when signing contracts, the COMAC has not received any money for the orders.

"The C919 does not have a price catalog, which means buyers don't have to pay the deposit," an anonymous source said.

Taking off in 2016

During the signing ceremony on November 13, Shi Jianzhong, the COMAC's vice president, reiterated that "We will try our best to ensure the C919 takes off in 2014 and is put into service in 2016."

"All suppliers have reached a consensus that they will give full cooperation to ensure the schedule," a senior official from the AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Corporation told the China Business Journal, adding that all the suppliers have begun to produce the parts.

The first fuselage part of the C919 was put into production at the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province in December 2011. The part, made of aluminum alloy, is the longitudinal girder of the gate of the plane's front body section.

Since the C919 aims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 15 percent when compared to other planes of a similar model, it has many altered features, such as the engine, composite materials, aerodynamic design and avionics system.

The computer could not simulate all the inner structures and the use of composite materials, and these problems caused the delays in production of the Boeing 787, an insider told the China Business Journal.

The propulsion system, the LEAPX1C engine, is still under development by CFM International, after the COMAC signed a contract with the company in June 2011.

If just one element of the production experiences problems, the entire process is likely to be delayed. Beyond production issues, industry observers said the C919 will also need to face potentially problematic tests to see whether it is airworthy.

Not the first jetliner

The C919 is not China's first homemade jetliner, this honor goes to the ARJ 21, an advanced regional jet, which the country began to develop in 2002. The ARJ 21 now also falls under the COMAC's purview.

The chief designer of the ARJ21, Chen Yong, said the regional jet will complete the process required to receive an airworthiness certificate within two years, according to a China News Service report.

The ARJ21 is applying for airworthiness certificates from both the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The certificate represents the basic threshold for a civil plane to enter the market and carry out business operations.

According to Chen, the FAA has finished training pilots, and they will come to China at the end of November to test the ARJ21.

In fact, the ARJ21 has been delayed because of the airworthiness tests, and its orders have been reduced from over 300 to 252.

Li Jian, a CAAC deputy head, in 2010 pointed out China's low capacity in terms of airworthiness tests, noting that this capacity also decided a civil aircraft's success.

During tests of the ARJ21, China had to turn to foreign countries for help on a number of issues, including its resistance to electromagnetic radiation, protection against lightning and electromagnetic compatibility.

The C919 will receive airworthiness tests in China, said Li, but he admitted that there is a gap in this field between China and the US, the National Business Daily reported.

If the C919 is expected to compete with the Boeing and Airbus in the medium-range aircraft sector, it will also need to get international airworthiness certificates.

To undergo tests for international airworthiness certificates, the COMAC signed an agreement with Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier on November 13, which will include cooperation on airworthiness tests.

Global Times