China will equip its airliners C919 with domestic produced engines, revealed an employee from the Academy of Sciences of the PRC. According to the expert, at present the main task of Chinese aircraft builders is the completion of the development of the first Chinese aircraft engine Changjiang-1000 (CJ-1000). The homemade engine is expected to make breakthroughs in its main parts – turbine, fan and blades.
“About 23% of the CJ-1000 engine parts are made of a special titanium alloy, so the engine will be distinguished by its reliability and improved technical characteristics”, said Cao Chunxiao, employee at Academy of Sciences.
The expert added that by the end of 2019 all the constructed C919 airliners will be equipped with domestic engines. Until then, the C919 power plant will be represented by LEAP-1C, an engine built by the joint French-American enterprise CFM International.
“The first prototype CJ-1000 will be presented at the end of 2017. After a series of factory tests, serial production will be established, and by the end of 2019 the CJ-1000 will be the main engine for all Chinese civil aircraft”, said Vice President of AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co, Jinzhang FENG.
The CJ-1000 is being developed specifically for the C919, but it is expected that by 2025, Chinese engines will be installed on Boeing 737 or Airbus 320, which production is already established in China.
As previously reported, the Chinese aircraft building corporation announced the receipt of new orders for the first Chinese narrow-body aircraft C919.
