CJ-1000A

The ACAE/AECC CJ-1000A () is a Chinese high-bypass turbofan engine currently under development by the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC), through its Commercial Aircraft Engines (ACAE) division in Shanghai.

Design

The CJ-1000A is being developed as the domestic powerplant for the Comac C919, a narrow-body aircraft, offering a thrust range of .

The engine measures in diameter and in length, comparable to the diameter and length of the CFM LEAP-1C, the current engine for the C919. It features a two-spool design, similar to the LEAP-1C, with a single-stage fan, three-stage booster, ten-stage high-pressure compressor, two-stage high-pressure turbine, and six-stage low-pressure turbine (compared to seven stages on the LEAP-1C). The CJ-1000A is equipped with eighteen hollow titanium wide-chord fan blades and a single annular combustor uses 3D printed fuel nozzles.

Development

A model of the CJ-1000A was first displayed at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) booth during the 2011 Beijing Air Show, with initial completion targeted for 2016. At the time, service entry was projected for 2020, and a possible collaboration with MTU Aero Engines was under consideration.

In 2013, AVIC subsidiary Shenyang Aeroengine Research Institute proposed using the WS-20, originally developed for the Xi'an Y-20 military airlifter, as a domestically-produced powerplant for the C919. Although the WS-20 incorporated newer technology and entered service in 2023, the proposal was ultimately rejected by Comac in favor of the CJ-1000A, which relies on technology closer to the CFM International CFM56 than the LEAP family.

Assembly of the first CJ-1000AX prototype was completed in December 2017 after 18 months of work, with 24 additional engines planned to support the airworthiness certification program. The engine was initially slated to enter service after 2021. In May 2018, the first engine successfully ran in a Shanghai test cell, reaching a core speed of 6,600 rpm.

As of May 2018, AECC projected certification by 2027 and entry into service by 2030, roughly eight years behind the original timeline. The CJ-1000A would need to deliver approximately of thrust to replace the CFM LEAP-1C. A higher-thrust variant, the CJ-1000B, rated at , is planned for future extended-range versions of the C919.

In March 2023, reports indicated that service and flight testing of the CJ-1000A had begun using a Xi'an Y-20 test aircraft. In March 2025, AECC reported that development was "progressing well" in trials. An executive from a Comac C919 supplier stated in April 2025 that the CJ-1000A would "soon" be able to power a C919 on verification flights. However, American aviation journalist Jon Ostrower noted in May 2025 that public sightings of the engine remained rare since flight testing began in 2023.

Other derivatives

CJ-2000 (AEF3500)

The CJ-2000 is a scaled-up version of the CJ-1000 spool and combustor core, with 10 compressor stages and two turbine stages. As of June 2018, the new engine destined for the COMAC C929 was expected to be demonstrated in 2023 and enter service in 2030.
It features a new low-pressure spool with a four-stage compressor booster up from three, seven LP turbine stages up from six (compared to the GEnx-1B which also has six stages; the UEC PD-35 has nine HP compressor stages), as well as composite fan blades and fan case.
The bypass ratio would be over 10, with a 50.3 OPR in climb, and a target TSFC of .

CJ-500

The CJ-500 would offer for the Comac 909.

Applications

* Comac C919: as alternative to the CFM LEAP-1C engine.

Specifications

See also

References

{{AVIC aircraft

2010s turbofan engines
High-bypass turbofan engines