China’s C929 widebody lands partner to power next-gen flight mind
After Comac secures core flight-system supplier for its widebody jet’s ‘brain’, sourcing the ‘heart’ of the C929 remains a lofty challenge
The maker of China’s expanding family of civilian aircraft has announced new orders for a regional jet and secured a crucial “brain” for its ambitious C929 widebody jet, coinciding with the Singapore Airshow.
The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) said on Tuesday that it signed a letter of intent for cooperation with Aviage Systems for the C929’s core avionics processing system, according to a Yicai news report.
Avionics refer to an aircraft’s electronic systems, including communications, navigation, flight control and monitoring – considered the brains of an aircraft.
Such advancements aim to help the Shanghai-based Comac compete within and outside Chinese airspace against the established Airbus-Boeing duopoly, as the two manufacturers have long had near-exclusive control over the global market for large commercial aircraft.