Comac says static strength tests for its C919 programme are slightly behind schedule, but that the team is still on track to complete the required tests by the end of the year, which will give an indication of whether the first flight can go ahead.

Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute C919 deputy designer Zhao Junfeng says his team is focused on completing load tests, in support of the programme’s planned first flight for the end of the year.

“I’ve split things into three stages, first is the tests we need to do before first flight, after that the limit loads, followed by exploratory experiments,” Zhao tells FlightGlobal at AVIC’s newly-built static strength test facility in Shanghai, just a stone’s throw from Comac’s final assembly centre inPudong.

Asked if he is satisfied with the test outcome thus far, Zhao says the results “are acceptable”, and that he is focused on using these tests to verify the static strength of the aircraft structure and components.

“Once we are able to do that, we will report it to the headquarters and tell them that the aircraft is ready to fly.”

When FlightGlobal visited the test facility in the first week of September, the aircraft was undergoing tests related to its landing gear. The unpainted fuselage had wings and its vertical stabilizer attached.

Zhao says that to hasten progress, while the main airframe is undergoing tests in Shanghai, tests on movable aircraft parts are being done in Xian.

He explains that while the ground test aircraft was handed over to the facility in April, there were still “bits of unfinished work” that had to be completed. The team thus had to “tie up loose ends” in manufacturing, while conducting tests concurrently.

An example is how modifications needed to be made to the aircraft to enable the installations of loading devices.

This has since pushed static strength test progress back from the previously targeted October completion.

“Our latest plan is to finish the tests by the end of the year. We need to complete the tests a month before first flight, conclude our experiments and make a report to the chief designer,” says Zhao.

Asked what is the biggest challenge now for static strength test works, Zhao says: “The main issue is schedule and the need for time. Static strength tests take time and if a certain part is delivered to me late, I will require more time.”

Comac is officially working toward a year-end first flight for the C919, but FlightGlobal understands that this is likely to be pushed back to early 2017.