The first Chinese locally built regional jet COMAC ARJ-21, has achieved Chinese type certification on Dec. 30.
Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) granted the aircraft type certificate to Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) in Beijing.
The type certification validates the aircraft has met the China Civil Aviation Regulations (CCAR) Part 25 Airworthiness Standards: Transport Category Airplanes (CCAR-25-R3) and safety, clearing it for commercial operations.
The certification comes after ARJ21-700 completed all of the 300 tests and 528 demonstration flight tests, and clocked 5258 flight hours in 2,942 flights.
All the airworthiness qualification works and 3,418 compliance reports were approved and 398 airworthiness articles were closed.
ARJ21, short for Advanced Regional Jet is a short-range regional jet designed to connect urban centers with surrounding small cities. It has passenger, cargo and VIP variants.
The maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft is 40,500 kg, with a maximum operating altitude of 11,900 m.
It is powered by two GE CF34-10A turbofan engines mounted on the aft of the aircraft. It is designed for 60000 flying hours or 20 year service life.
COMAC was established to spearhead commercial aircraft development in China, and currently undertakes the ARJ21-700 program and 158 seat C919 single aisle airplane program, which is slated to fly in 2015.
COMAC launched the ARJ21 program in 2002 and aircraft took the maiden flight in November 2008.
The development of ARJ21-700 aircraft was completed in China along with design assistance from Ukrainian Antonov Design Bureau, and closely resemble the McDonnel Douglas MD-80 airliner.
The program established aerospace test facilities, such as bird strike test, high-energy electromagnetic field radiation test of complete aircraft, lightning protection indirect effect test and acquired the knowledge of key flight testing technologies, like stall, minimum lift-off speed, flutter, natural icing, landing gear shimmy, etc. and many new techniques, new materials and new processes, and accumulated project management experience in major innovation engineering, benefiting the C919 program.
At present, CAAC is conducting airworthiness examination on the first ARJ21-700 to be delivered to the customer.
ARJ-21 is the second Chinese jet powered commercial aircraft design program after the abandoned Shanghai Y-10 airliner, which resembled the 4 engined Boeing 707.
COMAC has announced 278 orders of the ARJ21 regional jet aircraft.
