ZHUKOVSKY, Moscow region. Aug 28 (Interfax) - The first test flight of the Russian-Chinese CR929 long-haul passenger airliner is expected to take place in 2023, and delivery to customers after 2025, Maxim Litvinov, Russia's chief designer of the CRC292 program, told journalists.
"We are currently at the gate-3 stage, it is a preliminary design. At this stage, we're choosing potential suppliers and 'freezing' the aircraft's preliminary configuration: it's main flying performance characteristics, the aircraft's dimensions, the decisions related to the airframe and the engine," Litvinov said as part of the presentation of the full-scale model of the CR929's cabin and interior at the MAKS 2019 Air Salon.
"We'll need a couple of years until the gate-4 stage, it's the technical design. At that stage, we will complete the mechanical, electric and electronic integration of all components. In addition, we must pass a mock-up committee for the certification authorities, followed by the working design stage, and the start of certification work," he said.
According to Litvinov, the aircraft mockup was presented to airlines on Wednesday, the second day of the air show.
"The advisory board involving airlines, various ones, both Russian [including Aeroflot (MOEX: AFLT) and AZUR Air] and Chinese, as well as a Serbian airline, [took place on Wednesday]," Litvinov said, answering a question what airlines had confirmed their participation in the presentation.
The CR929 is a prospective wide-body passenger aircraft designed by the United Aircraft Corporation (MOEX: UNAC) and China's COMAC Holding. The program costs $13-20 billion, the UAC said earlier.