hawaiian717 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 3091 posts, RR: 8 Reply 6, posted (5 months 4 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 4524 times:
They're using the MD-90 tooling leftover from the McDD-Chinese joint venture, so it would probably be more accurate to think of it as a mini MD-90 variant rather than a mini 717. I also noticed that it appears to lack doors for the main landing gear (like the 737) and it has the wedge tail with the side APU exhaust like the 777. And it looks funny with the tiny CRJ engines on it compared to the longer JT8D, V2500, and BRR715.
Part way through the 717 production run the eyebrow windows were removed. So early 717s have them while later 717 lack them.
bohica From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 2409 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (5 months 4 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 4286 times:
It is a reversed engineered DC-9 with a wing designed by Antonov. Besides differences others have mentioned, there are doors just forward of the engines and no overwing exits. Also looking at other pictures it doesn't look like there is a tailcone exit like the DC-9/MD/717 series.
rikkus67 From Canada, joined Jun 2000, 1464 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (5 months 4 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 4181 times:
Hey brilondon,
bohica is correct in everything he said. I might also add that the engines (GE, CF-series) are similar in type to those used in Bombardiers CRJ's, and Embraers E17X-19X.
China previously tried to build a Western-style airliner, by reverse-engineering a Boeing 707:
rikkus67 From Canada, joined Jun 2000, 1464 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 2438 times:
Quoting n797mx (Reply 11): Makes it look kind of Superjet-ish, don't you think?
Certainly has a bit of a similarity.
Comac did a great job with modernizing and simplifying the cockpit widows. I believe I read that the size of the aircraft is roughly between the -10 and -30 DC-9 size. Emergency exits have been repositioned to forward of the engines, and the rear airstairs have been eliminated. Part of the reason for delay into production (other than low sales), has been some issues with the newly designed wing.
I believe Comac is also working with Bombardier for a larger aircraft, which will share commonality with the C Series. Whether this transpires into both a CS500 and a semi-autonomous Comac aircraft is yet to be seen.
The ARJ-21 certainly is a good looking aircraft, clearly showing is pedigree...
JHCRJ700 From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 377 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1970 times:
Who makes the engines? Interesting looking plane. Is there any expected entry into service with a commercial carrier anytime soon? Seems like the flight test program is taking awhile.
ADent From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 1179 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 1688 times:
Quoting JHCRJ700 (Reply 13): Is there any expected entry into service with a commercial carrier anytime soon? Seems like the flight test program is taking awhile.
Per AvWek it looks like 2014 is the new entry into service date, though one agency of the Chinese still thinks late 2013. Original plans were for 2006 then 2010 after the first flight late in 2008.
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 16, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 1634 times:
Quoting PlymSpotter (Reply 2): They purchased the Boeing/Douglas tooling
Do you have a crediable source for this, I find this very difficult to believe.
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
brilondon From Canada, joined Aug 2005, 3172 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 1574 times:
Quoting AirframeAS (Reply 16):
Quoting PlymSpotter (Reply 2):
They purchased the Boeing/Douglas tooling
Do you have a crediable source for this, I find this very difficult to believe.
It is not out of the realm of possibility that with the discontinuation of the 717, nee DC-9/MD80, why would Boeing not sell the tooling to the Russians or Chinese, the Chinese make everything these days.
hawaiian717 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 3091 posts, RR: 8 Reply 18, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1430 times:
We're not talking about equipment from Long Beach being sold to China after the end of commercial jetliner production at the Douglas facility, but about equipment originally intended to be used for Chinese production of the MD-90 as part of the TrunkLiner program. Ultimately, only two MD-90s were built in China.
rikkus67 From Canada, joined Jun 2000, 1464 posts, RR: 2 Reply 19, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 1387 times:
Thanks for the link, hawaiian717. By the date of the article, the ARJ21 is quite a bit behind schedule. Hopefully, we will see it come to full fruition...
Cessna 172; King Air 100; Twin Otter; SAAB 340; Dash 7; Dash 8-100,-200,-300,-400; CRJ-200,700,900; ERJ-170; F-28; DC 9-
r2rho From Germany, joined Feb 2007, 2249 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (5 months 3 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 1209 times:
With the ARJ-21, the Chinese industry is now learning that building a plane that flies is one thing, but actually certifying it (in particular to Western standards) is a whole different issue. From the little that I have read, it seems Comac has had significant documentation and traceability issues regarding various parts etc that does not allow them to be certified, even though fully built, and have had to go back to square one for their design.
But I see the ARJ-21 mainly as a learning experience for the Chinese industry; it doesn't have to be a commercial success. The lessons learned will surely be applied to the C919, etc.
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11126 posts, RR: 63 Reply 21, posted (5 months 3 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1095 times:
Quoting AirframeAS (Reply 16): Do you have a crediable source for this, I find this very difficult to believe.
Yes, as hawaiian717 has kindly already cited:
Quoting hawaiian717 (Reply 18): We're not talking about equipment from Long Beach being sold to China after the end of commercial jetliner production at the Douglas facility, but about equipment originally intended to be used for Chinese production of the MD-90 as part of the TrunkLiner program. Ultimately, only two MD-90s were built in China.
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