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Chinese Engineer Proposes Self-Sufficient Supply Chain for Large Passenger Jets
A senior Chinese aviation engineer has published a paper outlining steps to create a fully domestic supply chain for commercial airliners. The document acknowledges the risk that China could lose access to Western-made components for its C919 jet. It details the current reliance on foreign suppliers for engines, avionics, flight controls and other critical systems.
May 11, 6:00 AM·2m read1 source
South China Morning PostAudio version
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A leading Chinese aviation engineer has published a detailed paper proposing a blueprint for a completely self-sufficient domestic supply chain to produce large passenger jets. The paper acknowledges a substantial risk that the country could be cut off from components manufactured in the West.
It was written by a senior academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering who previously served as chief scientist of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China and played a major role in developing the C919 jet. The author is known for decades of work on the Y-20 military transport plane and the C919 passenger jet.
The document states that many critical parts of the C919 currently come from Western companies. The Leap-1C engine is supplied by CFM International, a joint venture between GE of the United States and France’s Safran. The auxiliary power unit comes from Honeywell of the United States, while the shell around the engine is provided by Nexcelle.
Avionics systems are designed and tested by GE and its joint ventures. Communication and navigation subsystems are supplied by Collins Aerospace, and the air data system comes from Honeywell. The main flight controls and autopilot receive technical guidance from Honeywell, which also supplies the brakes.
Actuators that move the control surfaces, along with fuel and hydraulics equipment, are provided by Parker Hannifin. The high-lift system comes from Moog.
The paper sets out specific measures intended to replace each of these imported systems with domestically produced alternatives. It calls for systematic investment in research, testing infrastructure and manufacturing capacity to achieve full independence.
