SAN MARINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Trans-Pacific Aerospace Company, Inc. (TPAC) reported today that the U.S. Navy has completed tests of spherical bearings made by its China subsidiary under SAE Aerospace Standard 81820.

"Our bearings have passed all of the dynamic testing and the Navy has given our bearings verbal approval contingent upon a facility inspection and approval of packaging," said Bill McKay, Trans-Pacific Aerospace CEO. "Once that's completed, our factory in Guangzhou will become the first and only manufacturer in China qualified to produce SAE-AS81820 aerospace quality bearings. Qualification is a difficult achievement to obtain and this approval is a testament to the skill and dedication of our engineering and manufacturing personnel. We do not see the remaining contingencies of packaging and facility inspection as significant hurdles to overcome, but merely procedural requirements. We are confident in our abilities to satisfy these requirements."

Bearings made by Godfrey Guangzhou Aerospace Bearings, a wholly owned foreign enterprise of Godfrey (China) Limited, Trans-Pacific Aerospace Company's 25%-owned subsidiary, demonstrated performance beyond technical specifications.

NAVAIR, the U.S. Navy qualification agency for SAE aerospace parts, conducted certification procedures that included dynamic tests for radial static limit load, axial static limit load, oscillation under radial load, no load rotational breakaway torque, fluid contamination, sub zero temperature, bond integrity and peel strength.

China is the world's largest aviation market outside of the United States, with forecasters like Boeing predicting it will need 5,260 new airplanes over the next 20 years. Bearings, such as those manufactured by Trans-Pacific Aerospace's China factory, are used throughout each aircraft.

Separately, Jason Arnold and Clairmont Griffith were named to Trans-Pacific Aerospace's board of directors.

Arnold has nearly 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry, regularly conducting business with such companies as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer. Griffith is an entrepreneur, and is currently chief of perioperative services and chairman of the department of anesthesiology at Howard University Hospital. He is also a professor at Howard University College of Medicine.

About Trans-Pacific Aerospace (TPAC)

Trans-Pacific Aerospace is in the business of designing, engineering and manufacturing self-lubricating spherical bearings for commercial aircraft, with planned product extensions using similar proprietary technology into maritime, power plant and space applications. To date, Trans-Pacific Aerospaces operations have focused on assisting its 25%-owned Chinese subsidiary, Godfrey (China) Limited, in the development of its production facility in Guangzhou, China and the design and engineering of Godfreys initial product line of spherical bearings. Godfrey has a special operating license granted by China's Ministry of Science and Technology. Godfrey has completed prototype manufacturing and testing in China and the United States and is pursuing SAE parts qualification of its facility in Guangzhou, China.

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Trans-Pacific Aerospace Announces NAVAIR Test Approval; Adds Jason Arnold and Clairmont Griffith to Board of Directors