Crew members pose in front of the fourth C919 to complete its test flying stage on Tuesday in Shanghai. Photo: Courtesy of COMAC

The home-made C919 is expected to enter the test flying stage soon, while two further aircraft will follow in the second half of this year, the plane manufacturer said on Thursday. 

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd（COMAC)  said that the fourth C919 had its first test flight early on Thursday morning in Shanghai. After nearly one and half hours in the air, it flew back to the airport after finishing tests for different systems.

COMAC said the test airplane is mainly intended to test its avionic system, automatic flight system and natural freezing.

Thus far, there are four C919 planes being put into the test flying stage. The previous three test planes having conducted test flights in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Dongying in East China's Shandong Province and Nanchang in East China's Jiangxi Province. 

The planes need to fly to different airports and undergo rigorous testing in complex weather conditions, in a series of high-risk test flights, and all six test airplanes will have type certificates flying next year, in a bid to send planes into the sky, according to COMAC.

An insider told the Global Times on Thursday that COMAC may apply for the airworthiness certificate in 2021.

The C919 had a successful maiden flight at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in May 2017.

To date, COMAC has received 815 orders for the C919 from 28 customers worldwide.

Global Times