Comac has begun tests on the C919 iron bird ground rig, performing necessary validation and integration of aircraft systems and performing troubleshooting. Currently, Comac has 400 aircraft orders for the C919 on backlog from Chinese airlines and leasing companies.
The aircraft is in its most critical engineering phase in Shanghai, where earlier this month horizontal stabilizers arrived for the iron bird from Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing. Comac is now manufacturing parts and components for the C919 aggressively in five Chinese cities. The company started part installation in August, also announcing then that the C919’s first flight would be pushed back to 2015.