Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co yesterday opened a plant in the Pudong New Area to manufacture the fuel and hydraulic systems for China's first domestically developed C919 single-aisle passenger aircraft.
The facility in Pudong's Zhuqiao Town was set up jointly with US power management company Eaton, which manufactures the systems for the Boeing 787, Airbus A350 and A380 aircraft. The plant will design, develop and make the fuel and hydraulic conveyance systems for the C919.
The fuel and hydraulic conveyance systems play key roles to connect all the plane's systems.
A joint venture formed by SAMC and Eaton in 2011 for the C919 will operate the new plant, which covers an area of 16,500 square meters and will start production by the end of the year.
Craig Arnold, Eaton chairman and chief executive officer, said the company will "leverage world-class civil aviation technology, manufacturing capabilities and management practices" for the success of the C919 aircraft.
The first jet, which rolled off the assembly line in November 2015, is expected to make its maiden flight next year. The aircraft has secured over 500 orders from about 20 foreign and domestic customers.
The C919 narrow-body aircraft, with 168 seats in an all-economy configuration, has a range of more than 5,000 kilometers.
