AVIC Aircraft selects Parker Aerospace flight controls, hydraulics on MA700 twin turboprop

XI’AN, China, 27 Jan. 2015. Officials at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s AVIC Aircraft Co. Ltd. (Xi’an branch) have selected Parker Aerospace in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, to supply the flight control actuation and hydraulic system for its new MA700 regional aircraft.

Parker Aerospace will provide fly-by-wire actuators for the MA700, a new twin turboprop aircraft. Fly-by-wire flight controls will replace the conventional hydro-mechanical flight control actuators that accept electrical commands from the flight control electronics to link pilot commands to flight control surfaces. Fly-by-wire provides increased functionality and easier installation.

Parker Aerospace engineers will design and manufacture the MA700’s hydraulic system, providing the functionality necessary to power and control the aircraft’s flight control system, landing gear, and steering system and brakes.

As the systems provider, Parker will be responsible for architecture development, system sizing and analysis, equipment development and qualification, and integration testing that supports overall aircraft certification.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the MA700 turboprop and look forward to developing and supporting these work packages for our important customer, AVIC Aircraft,” says Parker Aerospace Regional General Manager for the Asia Pacific Region Dr. Pui Ho.

Parker’s partners – AVIC FACRI (Flight Automated Control Research Institute) and AVIC NEIAS (Nanjing Engineering Institute of Aircraft Systems) will provide part of the bill of materials (BOM).

Parker Aerospace and AVIC Aircraft are in discussions to provide additional bills of material on the MA700.

Parker has a long relationship with AVIC and is currently establishing two joint venture companies with AVIC’s FACRI and AVIC NEIAS. The joint venture between Parker and AVIC’s FACRI — called Parker FACRI Actuation Systems — is located in Xi’an and is developing the flight control actuation system for the COMAC C919. In addition, it will include a customer service repair center that will be responsible for Parker Aerospace, AVIC, and third-party products. MA700 flight control products will eventually be assembled and tested in this facility.

This joint venture is located close to where the MA700 will be designed and manufactured to provide rapid turnaround service to AVIC Aircraft.

The joint venture between Parker and AVIC NEIAS — called NEIAS Parker Aero Systems & Equipment — is located in Nanjing and will develop the COMAC C919’s complete fuel, inerting, and hydraulic systems. A significant portion of the systems’ component assembly, test, and manufacture will take place at the new facility, as well as systems integration test functions. MA700 hydraulic system products will be assembled and tested in this facility.

Parker also provides the fuel, hydraulic, and flight control actuation systems for COMAC’s ARJ21 and C919 aircraft.