Posted on 06/30/2009 6:05:05 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
In the time it takes to complete the paper work for planning permission in Britain, a factory in Tianjin has been built and is producing passenger jets.
Once a month, an Airbus A320 passenger jet rolls out of an airy hangar on the outskirts of northern port city of Tianjin, China's window to Western ideas for a century and a half.
Within two years these $72m (£43m) twin-engine jets will be emerging once a week. The number of French, German, British, and Spanish engineers "shadowing" the local work force will be down to a handful.
By then production of identical models of the A320 workhorse will be tapering off slowly at the Airbus sister plants in Hamburg and Toulouse, starting with a cut from 36 to 34 this Autumn.
Airbus SAS A320 is rolled out of
a hangar in Tianjin
The Chinese engineers learn fast. This factory kicked off nine months ago, a nano-second in aviation time. It takes longer in Britain to complete the paper-work for planning permission.
"It's a miracle," said Lan Xinguo, head of Sichuan Airlines as he took delivery last week of the first Chinese A320 – splendidly adorned in red with dragons – to the sound of the Star Wars film track. "What's been done is beyond our imagination a few years ago."
Lawrence Barron, head of Airbus China, said Tianjin jets are geared to voracious demand from local airlines, at least – and here comes the kicker – "in the early years". There is no reason why an Indian, Australian, or European airline should not buy a Tianjin jet one day.
It is an odd arrangement. The Tianjin plant is a joint venture with China's Aviation Industry Corp (AVIC), the 430,000-strong speahead of China's
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
How long before stories of faulty made in China wings causing crashes???
If it is Made in China I AM NOT getting in the plane! How can we track where these planes are sold and who is flying them?
Embraer of Brazil, which supplies short-hop regional planes, also builds planes in China.
I’m with you on this one. The Chinese are selling Ural motorcycle knockoffs that are incredible pieces of crap, there’s no way on God’s green earth I would board one of their planes for a flight!
"Boeing is pleased to have been invited to help Chinese companies develop skills, achieve certification, and join world aviation and supplier networks. China has a sophisticated and expanding part to play in the commercial aviation industry and has a role on all of Boeing commercial airplane models-737, 747, 767, 777 and the newest and most innovative airplane, the 787 Dreamliner. China builds horizontal stabilizers, vertical fins, the aft tail section, doors, wing panels, wire harnesses and other parts on the Next-Generation 737; 747 trailing edge wing ribs; and 747-8 ailerons, spoilers and inboard flaps, and parts of the horizontal stabilizer. China also has an important role on the new 787 Dreamliner airplane, building the rudder, wing-to-body fairing panels, leading edge and panels for the vertical fin, and other composite parts."
The reality is that China now the defacto manufacturing hub of the world, and has been growing for the last twenty years. You may be surprised at how many "parts" for products are actually made in China.
Great. Now the empennage will fall off while the plane is idling on the tarmac.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.