This the first time that China has developed a commercial aircraft using composite material in its primary load-carrying structure.
The rear pressure bulkhead prototype is the first large-sized composite part completed for the C919. ROHACELL is used in the stringers to enhance the stiffness and buckling properties of the part.
The prototype was produced 5 months after the CAD design files were released.
Evonik acted as a strategic partner during the design and development of the rear pressure bulkhead prototype for C919. Evonik reports that ROHACELL helped to realise the complicated spherical structure and imparts outstanding material properties – primarily excellent creep and shear properties, even under prolonged dynamic stress.
“Evonik endeavours to contribute to the development of the Chinese aircraft industry with our innovative materials and expertise,” says Siamak Djafarian, General Manager of Evonik High Performance Polymers Business Line in Asia Pacific. “ROHACELL has already been successfully used in the winglet and flap vane of ARJ21-700, the Chinese-designed regional passenger jet. With this new development on C919, we see our cooperation with the Chinese aerospace industry going on.”
The C919 prototype was unveiled officially on 16 November at the Airshow China 2010 in Zhuhai. The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (Comac) has announced a launch order of up to 100, and expects a demand for 2000 C919 narrowbody in the domestic and overseas markets.
The C919 is scheduled to enter commercial service in 2016.
