China's first home-made jet flies

[Doctor Cynic]

Source: BBC

China successfully flight tested its first home-grown commercial airliner.

The ARJ-21's maiden flight lasted one hour and the aircraft did not rise above 900 metres in altitude due to safety reasons.

The 90-seat jet flew out of a local Shanghai airport and its manufacturer expects it to fly distances up to 3,700km.

Each jet will cost $27m (£22.6m) and first deliveries are expected to take place within 18 months.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7755377.stm

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Lemme guess...so how long before a plane crashes due to excessive lead content on the fuselage?

[DJ13]

1. ?

[AdHocSolver]

2. American airplane manufacturers have been manufacturing parts and subsystems in China for years.

This includes airliners and military airplane parts and systems.

Parts and subsystems for Cessna's new light sport airplane, the SkyCatcher, are being manufactured in China.

Chinese technology? Homegrown? American aviation companies, electronics companies, and others are selling the technology to China in return for opening up new markets for these companies.

[ksimons]

3. good for them, if they can do it, let them go for it

I wonder if they'll have the learning curve in about 20 years on what goes wrong with planes after 5-10 years and then will be a valid manufacturer.

[sam sarrha]

4. if you want to steal a plane to copy.. dont copy an MD-80

[Duppers]

28. you have no idea how much this will further hurt the US economy

Good for them?! Uh?

One of the few things we export is our aircraft. Honey, we can't continue to sell each other insurance.
Oh, but we have the film industry, I forgot. :yoiks:

[Submariner]

5. It's reverse-engineering

It's how Japan beat our ass in TV, electronics, cameras, cars, etc. Just build it better, like Toyota's, and steal the market away. China will probably kiss off Boeing in 20 years or so.

[Aviation Pro]

6. No....they....won't....

...they will produce an inferior product compared to Boeing because they simply lack the sophistication of close to 100 years of aircraft manufacturing. The planes will be sold to the likes of India, Pakistan and the emerging countries of Southeast Asia, but they will only fly domestically in those countries and they will never fly into Europe or the Americas.

[DonEBrook]

20. You're mistaken...because 100 years of 'sophistication' can be implemented

instantaneously by manufacturers. I will bet you they get an FAA type certificate within a year.

[Aviation Pro]

25. Not likely.....

....and even if they do, ALPA will scream bloody murder before putting its members on board these aircraft.

[Xithras]

24. Even selling to those markets would hurt Boeing.

Those secondary markets are typically the purchasers of secondhand aircraft sold by the major airlines. Those airlines factor those resale values into their profitability projections when purchasing new planes. If the secondary sales market dries up, the major buyers of new planes will be reluctant to purchase as many planes, or may demand that the major western airline manufacturers reduce their prices in response to the change.

[Duppers]

29. I agree

Did you read this in the article?

>>>The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China say they have secured over 200 orders and last month gained five firm orders from GE Commercial Aviation Services who have an option for a further 20 jets.<<<

What the heck? GE?

You're right about domestic flights:

>>>It's general manager Jin Zhuanglong said: "With less fuel consumption and longer flight hours, the ARJ-21 will reduce air fares by 8% to 10% for Chinese airlines, most of whom currently use large aircraft above 140 seats on short and medium routes." <<<

[awoke_in_2003]

7. The Japanese actually reverse-engineered...

cars like Mercedes and BMW. But the Japanese pulled this off because their goal was quality. China's only goal will be cheap production. Expect these planes to fall out of the air with frequency.

[David__77]

10. China can and does produce many high quality products.

It's a misconception that all production is ultra-efficiency geared without respect to quality. Military products, for instance, are good quality. It's products in the "tertiary" (consumer) sphere that are prioritized lower in the struggle for national resources. I expect these jets will be good quality.

[Deja Q]

19. That is VERY true.

Granted, I've been guilty of making silly jokes, though I don't put up grossly politically incorrect racist pictures for others not to respond to because it's more fun to be a perceived sexist...

What was I talking about?

Oh yes. Not all products from China are bad and should not be. People should indeed be wary once a string of related problems occurs, and as the recalled products and such are from specific venues rather than everything being produced...

Still, if production is what defines an economy to free trade with, we should be making more at home than liquid soap and plastic drinking cups.

[Thothmes]

14. Cheap

was a key note feature of things 'made in Japan' up till the late 60s early 70s. They made nothing but low cost junk like a lot of the stuff we see from China today. IMO that the Chinese will continue to improve the quality of their manufactured items. At some time in the future, they will equal the Japanese or our manufactured goods in quality. It takes time and time is on the Chinese side.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

12. it isn't reverse engineered - we sold them the whole works

see my post below.

[gristy]

8. "did not rise above 900 metres in altitude due to safety reasons"?

That makes no sense. The closer one is to the ground the less time the crew has to recover from any difficulty. No sense at all.

[meow2u3]

15. That's because the planes are made from bamboo

:evilgrin:

[Posteritatis]

22. Test flights are very incremental

You don't go straight to cruising altitude, or anything like it. You start at the lower ends of its performance, you use short, low flights to put more cockpit time per flight into seeing how the plane handles during takeoffs and landings, etc., and you start going beyond those into normal flights, building up data on how the plane operates as you do so.

It makes perfect sense.

[Endangered Specie]

9. I'll pass thanks...

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

11. This plane is a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 "NG"

McDonnell Douglas sold the Chinese a complete DC-9 assembly line to build the MD-80 and MD-90, after the merger with Boeing the venture in China fell apart and the Chinese diverted the equipment to other purposes after having only built a few planes.

This thing is a DC-9NG or 717 if you wish - and the Chinese didn't steal it, we sold it to them.

[Deja Q]

18. "NG" - abbreviation for "No Go"? Like the Chevy Nova in Mexico or Spain,

NG won't sell in America.

Why the arcane reference?

Because "Nova", as pronounced, translates to "No go" in Spanish. :D

[Aviation Pro]

26. Next Generation....

.....

[Duppers]

30. Holy Fuck!!!!

Are stupid or what?!




'Tis a 'pretty little' plane....

[Jamastiene]

13. Hope they used up as much of their melamine supply as possible.

I'm sick of hearing about their melamine supply poisoning animals and small children.

And while we are on the topic of China, it's NOT an addiction. It's a lifeline. Got that, China? :eyes:

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. What isn't 'an addiction'? (nt)

[Deja Q]

17. Well, it can't be made out of lead...

:yoiks:

[Endangered Specie]

27. hahaha, you never know...

[LeftHander]

21. Lovely lead paint finish....nt

[Romulox]

23. Good. Now the government needs to stop subsidies to Boeing, and make them "compete"

[scisyhp1]

31. That should say "first home-made passanger jet".

They've been flying home-made fighter-jets for a while now.