Parker Aerospace and AVIC form two joint ventures in support of new COMAC C919 aircraft

PARIS, 17 June 2013. Parker Aerospace and China Aviation Industry Corp. (AVIC), in a contract-signing ceremony in advance of the Paris Air Show, formed two joint venture companies in support of the new Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (COMAC) C919 program.

Parker Aerospace and AVIC’s Flight Automated Control Research Institute (FACRI) will form one partnership to provide local, in-country support of the joint development of the flight control actuation systems products on the C919. This joint venture will be located in Xi’an and include a customer service repair center that will be responsible for Parker Aerospace, AVIC, and third-party products.

Parker Aerospace and AVIC Jincheng Corp. will form a partnership in development and support of the fuel, inerting, and hydraulic systems on the aircraft. This joint venture will be located in Nanjing and will include a manufacturing facility.

A significant portion of the systems’ component assembly, test, and manufacture will take place at the new facilities, as well as systems integration test functions.

Financial terms of the agreements have not been disclosed.

In early 2010, Parker Aerospace was named the primary fly-by-wire flight control actuation, fuel, inerting, and hydraulic systems provider for the C919 aircraft.

Parker Aerospace’s Control Systems Division is developing the C919’s primary flight control actuation system. The fly-by-wire system will include horizontal stabilizer trim actuation and motor control; aileron, rudder, spoiler, and elevator actuators; and remote electronic units.

The hydraulic system, being designed by Parker Aerospace’s Hydraulic Systems Division, features a control and monitoring software package for the C919 integrated modular avionics controller and provides the functions necessary to power and control the aircraft’s flight control system, landing gear and steering systems, and thrust-reversers.

The Parker Aerospace Fluid Systems Division is responsible for the complete fuel and inerting systems for the aircraft. The fuel system equipment will handle multiple functions for the aircraft’s fuel system and includes engine feed, auxiliary power unit feed, refuel and defuel, venting, scavenge, fuel quantity gauging, and integrated modular avionics fuel gauging and management software. The inerting system includes the conditioned air supply and electronic control, as well as nitrogen-enriched air generation and distribution, reducing the flammability of fuel vapors in the aircraft’s fuel tanks and increasing aircraft safety.

Parker Aerospace provides the fuel, hydraulic, and flight control actuation systems for COMAC’s ARJ21 aircraft and has been a Gold Supplier for the program for many years. The regional jet made its first flight in 2009.

Visit Parker Aerospace during the Paris Air Show in hall 5, stand C220.