Meggitt, a leading international company specialising in high performance components and sub-systems for aerospace, defence and energy, has been selected by COMAC to supply the Engine Interface Control Unit (EICU) for its C919 aircraft family, The win follows two years of close collaboration during a definition phase between COMAC and Meggitt Sensing Systems, a Meggitt division and leading supplier of advanced condition monitoring, vibration and sensing systems.

The unit is airframe-mounted, performing pre-defined functions including signal processing, communication, logic operation and built-in-test (BIT) and provides a dedicated interface between the engine (initially the CFM Leap – X1C) and the aircraft.

The COMAC C919, a planned family of twin-engine, single aisle aircraft, is in development and is expected to complete its first flight in 2014 before entering service in 2016.

The indigenous short and medium-haul narrow body aircraft will target the growing Chinese aviation industry, in particular China Eastern Airlines, China Southern airlines and Great Wall Airlines which are establishing routes within mainland China and surrounding Asian countries.

COMAC estimates that the programme, including short line and stretched variants, could deliver up to 2,400 aircraft over the next 30 years.

Peter Huber, President of Meggitt Sensing Systems commented: "This contract follows Meggitt's EICU win on the Chinese ARJ21 aircraft and will enable Meggitt to demonstrate its outstanding engine health monitoring and high performance sensing capabilities in the growing Chinese aircraft and engine market."

Meggitt has proved its engine interface capability on a variety of Airbus and Boeing platforms, such as the engine interface power management unit on the Airbus A380.