A SECOND prototype of China’s large passenger jet C919 completed its maiden flight in Shanghai yesterday, which was marked as a step closer to China becoming a global aviation powerhouse.
The domestic jet, coded 10102, took off shortly after 10:30 a.m. at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and the flight lasted around 2 hours. It tested the performance of the C919 major systems and equipment, such as taking-off and landing, navigation and communication, speed acceleration and deceleration.
It will undergo four to six test flights in Shanghai before hopefully heading for a long-distance flight to Dongying in Shandong province by the end of January, according to Wang Wei, chief engineer with the test flight center for civilian planes from the manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, or COMAC.
COMAC said it plans to put six aircraft into test flights.
Tests on the second prototype will focus on critical systematic functions, especially the dynamic systems including the engines, according to Wang.
The 10102 has five crew members, with Wu Xin as the pilot. Wu was co-pilot for the maiden flight of the first prototype coded 10101.
Compared to the maiden flight of the 10101, the second prototype recorded a longer flight at a higher altitude and faster speed. The highest altitude it reached was 4,660 meters (15,300 feet) and the maximum speed was 253 knots.
The 10101 flew for 78 minutes during its maiden flight to a maximum height of 3,050 meters (10,000 feet).
The test flight of the 10102 also checked the folding of its landing gear, which were not folded away during the maiden test of the 10101.
The 10102 rolled off the assembly line on Nov. 23 and had completed five taxi tests before the maiden flight, greatly shortening the time between the completion of assembly and its first test flight.
The first C919 prototype coded 10101 saw its first test flight on May 5, after taxi tests in March.It completed its first long-distance flight on Nov. 10, flying for 2 hours and 23 minutes from Shanghai to Xi’an, covering more than 1,300 km and reaching an altitude of 7,800 meters (25,590 feet).