A C919 plane is ready for inspection in Shanghai yesterday. China's first domestically developed narrow-body aircraft began a series of ground tests in preparation for its maiden flight. [Photo/Shanghai Daily/Ti Gong]

China's first domestically developed narrow-body airliner, the C919, was put through its paces yesterday in a series of ground tests ahead of a maiden flight scheduled for this year.

The aircraft's loading capacity, tension resistance and engine power, among other things, will be scrutinized, said its developer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China.

The company did not give a time frame for the examinations, but said that once completed the C919 will embark on its first test flights with the aim of securing the necessary certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The jet rolled off the assembly line in November.

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