Under a memorandum of agreement signed on June 4, Rockwell Collins and Avic subsidiary Beijing Bluesky Aviation Technology will form a joint venture to design, manufacture and market commercial flight simulators. The joint venture should begin operating by the end of the year, pending a final agreement and regulatory approvals. Products offered by the venture will serve training needs for regional, narrow- and widebody airliners in China and around the world, including training devices and full-flight simulators.

Rockwell Collins will provide its Core simulation architecture technology and visual systems, while Bluesky will contribute “expertise on Chinese commercial aircraft flight simulation training products and services.” The two companies have collaborated previously on flight simulator programs, building simulation and training solutions for the Xian MA60 and MA600 and the Comac ARJ21 and C919. The C919 full-motion engineering simulator was inaugurated in February 2012 at Comac’s Shanghai Design and Research Center. The simulator, capable of meeting level-D standards, replicates the C919’s fly-by-wire flight controls and avionics systems, which include some Rockwell Collins products.

Plans call for the Rockwell Collins-Bluesky joint venture, in the form of a center of excellence for commercial flight simulation, to serve commercial aviation global simulation and training market segments. The memorandum of agreement was signed by LeAnn Ridgeway, Rockwell Collins vice president and general manager of simulation and training solutions, and Jin Dongsheng, chairman of Beijing Bluesky Aviation Technology. “We are proud to launch this venture in China’s rapidly growing aviation market,” Jin said, “and look forward to fulfilling our long-term goal of addressing the unique training needs of airlines around the world.”