China seems to make progress with the development of its indigenous medium-sized turbofan engine CJ-1000A, which has been spotted doing flight tests. The engine is under development since 2017, with the COMAC C919 specifically in mind. But like the airframe, progress has been slow even without taking the effects of the Covid crisis into account. China’s newest turbofan is making flying hours.
Launched in 2011, the CJ-1000 is developed by Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC). which is part of the AVIC aerospace consortium. Video footage emerged earlier today on Chinese social media of a Xian Y-20 transport aircraft with the CJ-1000 in the number 2 position on the four-engine aircraft, which itself is still in the development phase.
The CJ-1000 is part of a two-member civil engine family, which also includes the bigger CJ-2000 that could end up on the CRAIC CR929 and the smaller CJ-500, which is sized for the ARJ-21. The ‘1000’ is a high-bypass, advanced turbofan with a minimum thrust of 14.000 pounds but developed for the C919 with a power range of around 30.000-31.000 pounds. This is comparable to the CFM LEAP-1C that is currently powering the Chinese airliner, which received type certification last September.
Like the LEAP, the CJ-1000A is a high-efficient turbofan with lower fuel consumption compared to previous-generation engines. It consists of a fan with eighteen, titanium blades, followed by a three-stage low-pressure compressor, a ten-stage high-pressure compressor, a two-stage high-pressure turbine, and a six-stage low-pressure turbine. The engine has been developed in-house, although the engineers will have taken a good look at Western engines like the LEAP.
The first engine has been completed as far back as late 2017 or some six months after the C919 made its first flight. It ran for the first time on the test stand in May 2018. A year later, three engines had been completed and undergoing various ground tests, including bird strikes. According to Chinese media reports, the engine was installed on an Ilyushin Il-1000 flying test bed in August 2020 but there are few details of the actual flight test program.
After delays during the Covid crisis, AECC accelerated the project in late 2022, with the aim to certify the CJ-1000 for the C919 in 2025. The latest test on the Y-20 seems to confirm that the engine is now in an active test phase.
Although she has been designed and developed for a few years now, China might feel an urgency to become independent of Western high-level technology as long as geopolitical tensions continue. The Trump Administration almost blocked LEAP deliveries to China after including COMAC on the sanction list. Still, engine deliveries continued.
As far as the C919 itself is concerned, the first aircraft that was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in December seems to have done very little flying in recent months. Her most recent flight was a short hop from Shanghai Hongqiao to Shanghai Pudong.
Would you trust your life to a plane or engine made in China, land of cheap knock off crap?
No
Yes we trust if China made anything. US UK are stealing technology from others. US UK and European thief’s criminal and murderers.
Commonsense: A very narrow minded comment methinks. China also makes high quality products (see Huawei, comparable to iPhone in value, not forgetting that iPhone is made in China). Every country makes “cr*p, most countries manufacture products deemed as ‘cr*p’. Your comment is not well thought out
I guess experience counts. Likewise, it will take ages to perfect, with a couple of disasters here and there and eventually it will come alright.
China is determined to be no.I in the world today. Heaven help us.
Passenger have the choice to pick the airlines not the type of aircraft. That decision belong to the airlines. The airlines’success come from its safety record, punctuality, ticket price, and on board service, etc..
Since the C919 will be certified by EASA, FAA, CAAC, I do predict the C919 will be operated by both Chinese and non Chinese airlines.
So if the airlines operate the Chinese made aircraft, and you do not like that, you can take the bus or walk. That’s entirely up to you.
Yeah…don’t trust China technology that put the largest and most modern Space station recently…it’s using outdated third rate technology, ya…and oh, they have a Rover in Mars and Moon too?
Yes absolutely trust Chinese products including their Jet engines. They need to prove their planes and engines are safe, so they will do all necessary tests and checks to ensure safety. Look at Chinese space programme! COMAC is unlike Boeing, who develops unsafe aircraft like 737 max, where a worldwide grounding of the 737 Max followed two fatal crashes. Imagine financial losses to airline which bought these crap!. Even after the first crash they did not warn airlines due to their greed. Boeing was great company before there were taken over, now it’s just a another US money making outfit which scarifies quality and safety. Airbus and COMAC will be the future.
LA CHINE DEPASSE DEJA LOCCIDENT EN TECHNOLOGIE
VIVE LA CHINE
if 100 of them fly two years without any problem, I think it’s ok