Tag Archives: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation

Mitsubishi Aircraft completes the first flight of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet Flight Test Vehicle 10 (FTV10)

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation SpaceJet M90 JA26MJ (msn 10010) NKM (Akira Uekawa). Image: 949493.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, a MHI Group company, announced on March 18 that it has completed the maiden flight of Flight Test Vehicle 10 (FTV10), the first Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90 in final, certifiable baseline configuration.

FTV10 took off at 14:53 (JST) from the Prefectural Nagoya Airport and conducted basic aircraft performance tests in normal operating conditions over the Pacific Ocean. After approximately two hours of flight, the aircraft returned to Nagoya at 16:40 (JST). With the completion of FTV10’s first flight, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation is prepared to enter the final phase of certification flight testing for the SpaceJet M90, the first commercial jet manufactured in Japan.

In coming weeks Mitsubishi Aircraft plans to continue flight tests on FTV10 in Nagoya, as well as prepare for the ferry flight to Moses Lake Flight Test Center (MFC) to join the remainder of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90 test fleet for the final phase of type certification flight test.

Flight information

・Aircraft: JA26MJ (FTV10)

・Takeoff time: 14:53 JST

・Landing Time: 16:40 JST

・Pilot Name: Hiroyoshi Takase (total flight time: approx. 7,700h) and Akira Udagawa (total flight time: approx. 11,600h)

Note: SpaceJet was formerly called the Mitsubishi MRJ and rebranded after some heavy changes of the internal design was applied.

Top Copyright Photo: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation SpaceJet M90 JA26MJ (msn 10010) NKM (Akira Uekawa). Image: 949493. Seen on its first taxi test. The aircraft would make the successful first flight three days later on March 18. While the short term after the first flight and until the second flight on March 21, the gold stripe on the fuselage and gold tail design on the portside has been removed. SpaceJet was formally called the Mitsubishi MRJ and has been rebranded after some heavy change of the internal design.

Mitsubishi Aircraft opens its new Seattle Engineering Center

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation opened and started full operations of the Seattle Engineering Center (SEC) in Seattle, Washington, an engineering arm of its subsidiary, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation America, Inc. The opening of a development center in Seattle, the global hub of the aviation industry, enables Mitsubishi Aircraft to tap professional expertise on aircraft development and to accelerate the development of the MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet).

Mitsubishi Aircraft held an opening ceremony on August 3 to celebrate the opening of the Center. The ceremony was attended by numerous distinguished guests, including Jay Inslee, Washington State Governor; Masahiro Omura, Consul General of Japan in Seattle and Lee Human, President, Aerospace Testing Engineering & Certification L.L.C. (AeroTEC), one of the partner companies of Mitsubishi Aircraft. Present from Mitsubishi Aircraft were Hiromichi Morimoto, President and Kenichiro Honda, Vice President, SEC, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation America.

SEC will work with AeroTEC, which has extensive experience and expertise, to accelerate the MRJ’s conformity activities and provide prompt support for flight tests in the U.S. that are scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2016 based at the Grant County International Airport at Moses Lake in Washington. SEC will be operated with approximately 150 members, including about 100 engineers recruited mainly in Seattle and about 50 engineers from Japan.

Japan Airlines finalizes its order fro 32 Mitsubishi Regional Jets for J-Air

JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) has finalized its order with Mitsubishi for 32 Mitsubishi MRJ70 and MRJ90 regional jets (MRJs). This finalizes the Letter of Intent (LOI) announced on August 28, 2014. The aircraft will be operated by subsidiary J-Air (Nagoya).

Mitsubishi issued this statement:

Japan Airlines (JAL) and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (Mitsubishi Aircraft) announced they have signed an agreement for the purchase of thirty-two firm Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) aircraft. JAL and Mitsubishi Aircraft signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on August 28, 2014, and have moved forward to conclude this agreement on January 28, 2015.

JAL highly evaluates the performance of the next-generation MRJ aircraft and Mitsubishi Aircraft’s proposals for operational support following deliveries. Thus far, 407 MRJ (223 firm, 160 option, 24 purchase rights) are on order, including 32 from JAL. Deliveries to JAL are scheduled to commence in 2021.

J-Air Corporation (J-Air), the JAL Group’s 100% owned regional airline subsidiary, will operate the 32 MRJ aircraft.

Image: Mitsubishi.

JAL aircraft slide show:

Mitsubishi today rolls out the first MRJ regional jet

<br /><a href=”http://www.ustream.tv” style=”font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;” target=”_blank”>Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream</a>

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation today (October 18) held a rollout ceremony for the MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet), a next-generation regional jet, at the Komaki Minami Plant of MHI’s Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works in Aichi Prefecture. After unveiling Japan’s first jet aircraft, MHI and Mitsubishi Aircraft are now ready to proceed toward the MRJ’s first flight scheduled for the April-June quarter of 2015.

The rollout ceremony was attended by numerous distinguished guests, including Akihiro Nishimura, State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT); Hideki Niwa, State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT); Atsuo Kuroda, Director-General, Manufacturing Industries Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Shinichiro Ito, President and CEO of ANA Holdings Inc., the launch customer. From MHI and Mitsubishi Aircraft, respectively, chairman Hideaki Omiya and president and COO Teruaki Kawai, as well as executives of the two companies, were present.

In welcoming his guests Mr. Omiya spoke of his pride on the momentous occasion. “A product ‘Made in Japan’ – a product offering the highest levels of both operating economy and cabin comfort – is at long last about to leave the realm of dreams and become a reality,” he said. “It’s with utmost confidence and pride that we will soon be sending the MRJ out into the world.”

Going forward MHI and Mitsubishi Aircraft will continue to dedicate their full efforts to ensuring the success of the MRJ project while at the same time playing a core role in the development of the aviation industry. The two companies presently look for the MRJ’s first flight to take place in 2015 and for first delivery in 2017.

Mitsubishi Regional Jet is a family of 70~90-seat next-generation aircraft featuring the Pratt & Whitney’s revolutionary PurePower® engine and state-of-the-art aerodynamics to drastically reduce fuel consumption, noise, and emissions, while offering top-class operational benefits, an outstanding cabin designed for heightened passenger flying comfort, and large overhead bins.

JAL signs a Letter of Intent for 32 Mitsubishi Regional Jets

JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to order thirty-two Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) aircraft, as the next-generation regional jet for the JAL Group. JAL plans to deploy the MRJ on domestic routes from 2021, operated by J-Air, the group’s 100% owned regional airline subsidiary.

Mitsubishi Aircraft has made steady progress on the development of the MRJ, Japan’s first passenger jet, which is scheduled first delivery in 2017. As a network carrier that also operates regional jets, the JAL aims to contribute to the birth of this passenger jet that Japan boasts to the world, by not just operating the MRJ, but also providing comprehensive support.

Equipped with newly-developed Geared Turbofan engine, the MRJ will achieve significantly lower operating costs than current regional jets. JAL will operate the MRJ as the core aircraft on its regional routes, and remains committed to improving products and service quality from the passengers’ point of view and developing more convenient networks. The MRJ will support JAL explore a new era of air travel.

Image: JAL.

JAL-Japan Airlines:

The new Eastern Air Lines signs a MOU for 20 Mitsubishi MRJ90s

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for an order for twenty firm MRJ90 with purchase rights to an additional twenty MRJ90s with the Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc. (Eastern Airlines 2nd) (Miami). Based on this MOU, both companies will move forward to conclude a definitive agreement in the near future. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2019.

Eastern previously stated they had ordered the Boeing 737-800 in order to start operations. The proposed airline is still in the FAA certification process.

Edward J. Wegel, Eastern Air Lines Group President and CEO said, “We are extremely impressed with the operating cost benefits of the MRJ with the geared turbofan engine, which reduces seat mile costs almost to the level of current 130 – seater aircraft. This provides an excellent scheduling and route network advantage to Eastern as we look to add a second fleet type within five years.”

Thus far, 325 MRJ are on order, including 25 (15 firm, 10 option) from All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., 100 (50 firm, 50 option) from Trans States Holdings, Inc. and 200 (100 firm, 100 option) from SkyWest, Inc.