ARJ21-700's maiden flight
The ARJ21-700, a homegrown commercial regional jet powered by a turbofan engine has made its maiden flight in Shanghai.
The country’s first independently developed regional jet completed its maiden flight in Shanghai on Friday, marking a major stage in China’s civil aircraft manufacturing industry.
The ARJ21-700, a homegrown commercial aircraft powered by a turbofan engine, rolled off production lines in December last year at the Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory.
The 90-seat jet has a standard full-passenger flight capability of 2,225 km and a maximum flight capability of 3,700 km.
The jet’s maiden flight was successfully completed an hour later, with all testing procedures carried out.
The ARJ21 does not have passenger seats built in during the testing phase, but will be able to carry passengers within 18 months.
The Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory has an annual production capability of 20 ARJ21 jets and the goal is to assemble 50 jets each year in Shanghai alone.
ARJ21 is an acronym for “Advanced Regional Jet for the 21st Century”.
Source: China Daily