ACAC has another plan for breaking into Western markets and this one relies on Bombardier. AVIC I and Bombardier disclosed at the Paris air show in June that the Canadian aircraft maker is to partner with ACAC on the ARJ21-900, a 105-seat stretched version of the -700, and is investing $100 million in the programme. AVIC I, meanwhile, has agreed to invest $400 million into its aircraft factories to prepare them to work on the planned Bombardier CSeries 110- to 130-seat airliner.
ACAC and Bombardier will jointly design a new fuselage and interior for the ARJ21-900 and the aircraft promises to include more composites than
Probably just as nice looking on the outside and as UGLY on the inside (as CRJs). If it’s remotely close to the CRJ or 717, I’m definitely NOT flying on it! CRJs and 717 the WORST planes I’ve flown on (out of over 20). I guess is doesn’t matter too much since I don’t plan on going to China in the future.
But while the Chinese claim it as their own, the Flying Phoenix is more like the rising of a defunct American design. Shenyang used much of the tooling left over from McDonnell-Douglas’s aborted attempt to build MD-90s in China and the “new” airplane has the same cabin cross section and nose as the DC-9 family. The last of the line, the Boeing 717, was built at the original Douglas Long Beach factory in May of 2006. Although the sheet metal may be Chinese, much of what makes it fly is from other countries, including the GE engines and Rockwell avionics. The Russians designed the wing. The plane has a range of about 2,000 nm and cruises at about 500 knots.
It is significantly bigger than the DC9-10. It’s about the same size as the DC9-30.
It looks like a DC9 because it is being built in the same plant with the same tooling as the MD-90’s that were built under license in China.
It will probably well enough to cover their development cost (which is probably pretty low). Production will probably stop once C-series production starts. It really fills a gap because there currently aren’t any aircraft being offered with ~100 seats in a 2 class layout.
It would be an ideal replacement for NW for their DC9-30’s, but they’ll probably just wait for the C-series.
Also, I don’t have a problem with the 717, in fact I think it’s a really good aircraft. My only complaints is that has a little too much engine vibration and that the pitch on the aircraft that Airtran flies that were originally delivered to TWA is a little tight (the aircraft originally destined to them are fine though).
The ARJ-121 is a blatant copy of the MD-87 or MD95. Even the small right side service door is copied. I worked at McDonnell Douglas on the MD-90 program and the nose was also designed by Douglas when FAA or European requirements called for more visibility. Douglas was able to certify the MD-90 by grandfathering the old nose but the nose on the ARJ-121 was designed in Long Beach because I remember seeing the CAD model. They also thought about using the DC-10 windshields but the analysis showed supersonic airflow above the cockpit area which would have meant excessive noise and sonic fatigue. It wouldn’t surprise me if they used the discontinued MD-80/90 tooling which the Chinese had to assemble aircraft in Shanghai.
