On 2nd November 2015 China took the world by storm. The world’s second-largest air travel market after the United States, China ventured into making airplanes, to break the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing.

China’s homegrown jet will be a flying masterpiece and a benchmark in the global commercial aviation market. Launched in 2008, C919 was showcased this week in Shanghai. The first test flight is expected to fly in 2016 and here’s what you should know about it:

1. The massive aeroplane with a blue stripe and a green tail will be called The C919.
2. It is the country’s first large passenger aircraft.
3. It has 2 jet engines to support its flying.
4. With 174 seats, this aircraft is similar in size with Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 series.
5. It has a flying range of 5,555 kilometers (3,451 miles), combined with the efficiency to compete with Airbus and Boeing.
6. Popular business routes – Shanghai to Singapore and Beijing to Bangkok.
7. C919 is built with the humongous support from 200 companies, 36 universities and hundreds of thousands of professionals.  
8. With an airframe partially made of light composite materials and new avionics used throughout the plane, the advanced technologies are coming across as an incredibly remarkable aspect of the plane. (similar to 787 Dreamliner)
9. By far, close to 517 orders have been received.
10. However, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hasn’t certified the body yet, concerning over its credibility, resulting in limited global sales.

In future, they intend to make another, however, wider airliner. To meet their whopping demand, China will need 6,300 new planes over the next two decades. China’s voracious impulse to break into aviation market is the reason behind its explosive growth and innovation.

How Chinese is China’s new plane?

The internet is flooded with such questions. Is it no replica? No outsourcing for aircraft components? Well, to all such questions, here’s your answer. The below mentioned image shows from where these components are made. ( U.S.- French JV & China)

About the author:

Shewali loves to cook. She is mostly travelling; if not blabbering or gorging. That’s all folks!