If everything goes as planned, China will be able to embrace the creation of its own large aircraft manufacturing group this March.

At present, the group's preparatory committee is faced with a number of daunting tasks, including creating a logo, deciding on a location for registration and legal representative, bringing together a board of directors, and coming up with an operational model and business plan. All this is still to be decided, though it has already been confirmed that a 150-seat, single-aisle passenger aircraft will be its first airplane.

The soon to be created large airplane manufacturer will reportedly be headquartered in Shanghai. Initiated to research and develop large airliners, the corporation will offer hope to fulfill the targets set by relevant departments to come up with large passenger aircraft with independent intellectual property rights by 2020.

Mature conditions

China has been dreaming of manufacturing its own large aircraft for decades. As early as 1970s, it took the first step toward research and development of the aircraft, but the efforts crumbled due to strains from national resources, national defense technologies and the fledgling civil aviation market.

In February 2006, the State Council released the National Medium and Long-term Program for Scientific and Technological Development (2006-2020). The development of large aircraft was put on the agenda again, among a list of key projects including the new generation wireless broadband mobile communications network and manned space flight and moon exploration.

Liu Daxiang, Vice Director with the Scientific Committee under China Aviation Industry Corp. I and Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, attached the possibility of the development of large airliners to three prerequisites: experiences, economic strength and technological foundations. "Currently, China is basically endowed with the three indispensable prerequisites," Liu said.

The Development of a Large Aircraft Program Report, endorsed at the executive meeting of the State Council on February 26, 2007, assigned the program with two key projects: the development of large military transport aircraft and large civil passenger aircraft. Rough estimates put the research and development cost at around 50-60 billion yuan ($6.94-8.33 billion).

Last September, China lined up a preparatory team for the project headed by Zhang Qingwei, Director with the Commission for Science Technology and Industry for National Defense. The team is responsible for building a corporation capable of producing large aircraft. According to Zhang, the corporation will come into being this March, with a general director and a general designer designated to stage a complete management system of research organizations. This move is intended to push forward research in line with the program.

Besides this, research and demonstration of the technical programs will be entrusted to four special groups within the preparatory team. Concrete programs will be put forward to the State Council for approval before the annual session of the National People's Congress scheduled for this March.