MAI and COMAC: The Discourse Goes On

Russia and China are now working on a long-range wide-bodied aircraft. The liner’s distinctive feature is a significant amount of polymeric composite materials in its structure. In aircraft’s design, it amounts to 50% (70 tons). The unique “winged machine” was presented last November at the China Airshow 2016 exhibition. MAI joined Chinese COMAC and Russian United Aircraft Corporation (UAK) as a consultant and supervisor fr om the Chinese side in a variety of engineering areas.

Last November MAI launched a series of lectures and workshops for COMAC employees in Composite materials and Avionics Integration areas. The course ended in early March.

The aim of MAI is that the students of Composites and Avionics could not only get training in the theoretical part but also see a working corporation of their field in real life, says Darya Vorobyova, Vice Director of Future Educational Programs.

COMAC representatives were shown a multiaxial machine, prepreg production line. The visitors got a full grasp of how engineers and designers should interact with material specialists in order to achieve the necessary characteristics and materials. After all, aircraft’s design starts with the creation of the materials for the structure.

After the session in Moscow, MAI representatives will go to Shanghai for a weeklong Composites and Avionics Integration training for COMAC employees. And that is not all. According to Darya Vorobyova, a delegation from MAI headed by Mikhail Pogosyan is planning to visit COMAC for further discussion of various educational programs.

The experience and command of MAI specialists for COMAC are not doubted. Some of them participated in certification of Russia’s largest liner Sukhoi Superjet 100; moreover, our lecturing staff have unique knowledge in the area of aircraft design of various modifications.

To challenge such companies as Aircraft and Boeing and to be competitive we should create a truly unique product. And it would be impossible without advanced technologies, says Darya, that is why our choice of the cooperation areas with COMAC is not accidental — we focus on the areas wh ere it is important to achieve a top efficiency level. I am certain that the joint Russian-Chinese project has a big future in which MAI has one of the leading roles.