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- Part of Records of the Office of the Chief of Staff (Clinton Administration), Harold Ickes, Jr.'s Files
Extracted text
OCR Page 1 of 25APR 11 '95 12:47PM DOT/SECRETARY OFFICE
P.2/3
WHY
OF
DEPARTMENT
THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
UNITED STATES of F AMERICA
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590
April 11, 1995
Federico Peña J.P.
FROM:
Secretary of Transportation
TO:
Leon Panetta
Chief of Staff
SUBJECT: Type Certification of the Chinese Y-12 (IV)
Airplane.
The Y-12 airplane was type certificated as a part of a
continuing effort to assess the capability of the Chinese
aviation authority to certify aeronautical products. The
Y-12 is a 19-passenger airplane designed for the commuter
air carrier or cargo market. No airplanes have been sold to
any United States operators. In fact, there are no
worldwide sales of the airplane to date. A previous model
has had some international sales but none in the U.S.
A U.S. type certificate is required for an aircraft to be
purchased and used by a U.S. operator. Without the U.S.
type certificate the aircraft could only be operated into
the country by a non-U.S. flag carrier. The U.S. type
certificate is also viewed as a "seal of approval" by the
world aviation community.
There are a total of 25 U.S. companies who supply components
of the airplane. They include:
a. Pratt & Whitney Canada engines with U.S.-supplied
parts.
b. Hartzell - propellers.
C. Collins - avionics.
d. B.F. Goodrich - deicer boots.
e. Fairchild Aviation - flight data recorders
f. S-TEC - electronic instruments
The certification of the Y-12 is a continuation of close
cooperation between U.S. and China aviation authorities
since the mid 1980s. Because of this cooperation, the
Boeing Company, McDonnell Douglas (MDC), and U.S. engine
manufacturers have been very successful in marketing their
products in China. McDonnell Douglas recently signed an