A prototype of China's new home-developed regional jet, the ARJ-21, will be unveiled at a show in Shanghai, organizers of the event said at a press conference yesterday.

The real-size model jet, whose appearance and interior seat, window and rack arrangements are virtually identical to the real aircraft, will impress visitors, said Wang Wenbin, president of Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (SAMF).

The prototype of the ARJ-21 -- meaning "advanced regional jet for the 21st century", will be displayed at the Second Shanghai International Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exhibition to be held from July 5 to 7.

China began developing the regional jet in 2002. Final assembly of the aircraft began on March 30 in Shanghai and the first 90-seater plane is expected to roll out of the workshop at the end of the year.

The ARJ-21's maiden flight is scheduled for March 2008 and mass production of the aircraft will begin in 2009, according to China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I), developer of the jet.

Chinese experts said the ARJ-21 has given China a late but powerful presence in its own commercial aviation market, which up until now has been dominated by foreign aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus.

The project is also seen as preparation for China's jumbo plane project, an undertaking shelved for about 30 years before being recently dusted off. Chinese experts say they need two decades to produce the Chinese jumbo.