COMAC C919

Is the ban already in place or still in draft?
This ban or potential ban threatens the viability of these programs. Any technical discussion would be subject to the consequences. As long as it doesn't get into things like retaliation and what not, we need to keep the information flow.
C919 engine is not entirely GE, though it would be within US power to ban it. And it's not just about the engines, there are many US or foreign dependencies.
Didn't Trump say he is ok to supply the engines...I guess priority now is maximum damage for the days left.

Well at least the Chinese got the engines for the prototypes. There was some issue with the nacelles, I think being improperly specified, but that's something the Chinese can, if it really needs be, do I think. Well, now you know why the Russians designed the PD-14 engine for MC-21.

the LEAP is joint-produced by Safran and GE, they've been cooperating through CFM for a long time. how much do they trust each other? not much. according to a report (I forget the source), engineers working in the LEAP project basically don't know what the other side are doing. how can they cooperate like that is something I don't understand.

Yes that was true with the CFM as well. The US insisted the hot sections are manufactured by GE in the US and their assembly together with the cold sections (made by Safran/France) is done in Europe but inside a facility where only GE employees can enter inside. Guarded with a security detail. That's what I heard.

Basically Rolls-Royce is the only engine manufacturer for civilian aircraft in Europe which doesn't use US components. Safran/France does make helicopter engines and military engines like the M88 100% in France though.

The main thing is that China must not cancel the C919 (or ARJ21/CR929) project, like the Shanghai Y-10, no matter what. Even if it must go through rework, redesign, and retesting to strip out the US supply chain. Once the project is cancelled, years if not decades of hard won experience and know-how is lost.

gadgetcool5 said:

The main thing is that China must not cancel the C919 (or ARJ21/CR929) project, like the Shanghai Y-10, no matter what. Even if it must go through rework, redesign, and retesting to strip out the US supply chain. Once the project is cancelled, years if not decades of hard won experience and know-how is lost.

Click to expand...

It wouldn’t be lost. That experience and the human capital behind it could simply be reapportioned to other projects.

latenlazy said:

It wouldn’t be lost. That experience and the human capital behind it could simply be reapportioned to other projects.

Click to expand...

What other projects? Unless the project is substantially similar, the experience won't apply. If these projects are canned, then good luck to China ever having a commercial aviation industry in the future, because the more time passes, the more they will fall behind.

gelgoog said:

Yes that was true with the CFM as well. The US insisted the hot sections are manufactured by GE in the US and their assembly together with the cold sections (made by Safran/France) is done in Europe but inside a facility where only GE employees can enter inside. Guarded with a security detail. That's what I heard.

Click to expand...

I wasnt aware of this. im starting to wonder why does GE bothers with this joint venture. Im sure that GE could make this entire engine by themselves.

gadgetcool5 said:

The main thing is that China must not cancel the C919 (or ARJ21/CR929) project

Click to expand...

Why would china cancel the C919??? if C919 loses acess to american components, they can get other components elsewhere, or even develop them themselves. The C919 is to develop experience, not to make money.

I assume China has been developing replacement components all along. But if they haven't it would delay the project 3-5 years I think.
Russia was lucky they had already been developing the engine and replacement components for the rest for at least 2 years.
Still the ban on sale of composites likely has delayed the project by 2 years. But with the virus that's probably a less concern.

AVIC can develop the remaining components for Comac. But it takes time.