Undeterred by previous disappointments, China's regional jet ambitions are taking new shape with the formation of a six-company joint venture which is searching for a foreign partner to launch a 70-seat jet programme.
The NRJ joint venture comprises Xian Aircraft Design and Research, the Shanghai Aircraft Research Institute, Shanghai Aviation Industrial Group, Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing, Xian Aircraft Industry Group and the Shaanxi Aircraft Company. Industry sources hint that the consortium is again looking to France for a possible risk-sharing industrial partnership.
While denying that any formal talks have taken place, ATR chief executive Antoine Bouvier has confirmed that the Franco-Italian regional aircraft joint venture is interested in the NRJ. ATR has been trying to establish a basis on which to revive its own Airjet regional jet family programme, and is scheduled to decide whether and how to proceed before the end of this year.
A partnership with ATR would see the Sino-European regional aircraft saga come full circle. Europe's involvement in AE31X began with the ATR/British Aerospace joint venture Aero International (Regional) before Airbus Industrie/Alenia took over the programme in 1996. The resulting 100-seat AE31X project was eventually cancelled earlier this year.
Manufacturers acknowledge that the market for regional jets in the 70-seat class can only support two or three rival products. So far, Bombardier and Fairchild Dornier have launched programmes, and ATR and Embraer are involved in feasibility studies.
The Chinese concept is based on a 76-seat model, the NRJ76, and a 58-seat variant, the NRJ58. The consortium proposes a range of 2,220-3,700km (1,200-2,000nm) with a maximum take-off weight of 31,210kg (68,745lb) for the NRJ76, and 26,110kg for its smaller stablemate.
The consortium is considering three possible powerplants - the General Electric CF34-3A/8C1, the Allison AE30XX and the Snecma/Pratt & Whitney Canada SPW14. BMW Rolls-Royce's BR700 series has been rejected as too big.
The proposed design features a T-tail configuration with rear fuselage-mounted engines, and four-abreast seating in a 2.6m (103in) wide cabin.
Aglass cockpit with fly-by-wire and sidestick controls is envisioned by the Chinese.
Source: Flight International
