COMAC C919 – In China’s quest to compete with other airlines, state-owned aircraft manufacturer COMAC developed the C919. It falls into the same size class as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 families and, in its initial basic version, can accommodate a maximum of 192 passengers. The first prototype was unveiled in November 2015, and the maiden flight took place a year and a half later, on May 5, 2017. The first C919 was put into service in May 2023 by its first customer, China Eastern Airlines. To date, around 30 aircraft have been delivered, all to Chinese airlines, with more than 1,000 additional aircraft on order. Herpa is now adding this new competitor in the short- and medium-haul market to its range in 1:500 scale. → Expected to be available from fall 2026.
Boeing E-7 AEW&C “Wedgetail” – Based on the 737-700, the new 737 AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) is intended to replace the outdated E-3 Sentry aircraft, which have been in service since the late 1970s. Unlike its predecessor, which is equipped with a rotating radar, the E-7’s surveillance radar is mounted on top of the fuselage as a kind of “fin” to minimize aerodynamic effects. The first of six aircraft was delivered to Australia in 2009. Since then, additional aircraft have been delivered to Turkey, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, while the planned purchase by the United States is still pending.→ Expected to be available in fall 2026.
(pictures and text www.herpa.de)