Mitsubishi MRJ Program - News & Discussions

[BoQ77]

Japan’s MRJ aborts test flight for second time
AFP, TOKYO

Japan’s first domestically produced passenger jet, the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, takes off from Nagoya Airfield in Aichi Prefecture on Nov. 11 last year.
Photo: AFP

A test flight of Japan’s new passenger jet was aborted yesterday for the second time in two days because of an air conditioning defect, its maker said.

A Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) on Saturday left Nagoya Airfield in central Japan for the US, but soon turned back due to air conditioning problems.

The plane took off again yesterday, but problems “in the same air conditioning monitoring system” caused it to return, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd and its subsidiary, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp, said in a joint statement.

“After the jet returned yesterday, we checked the system and changed parts. After confirming that there was no problem in a test on the ground, today we launched the flight again, but the same problem occurred,” Mitsubishi Heavy spokesman Yuji Sawamura said.

The MRJ, which can seat as many as 92 people, is the first of four that the firm will fly to US for testing as the company works toward getting certification in the world’s largest economy.

The aircraft made its first flight in November last year and has been undergoing tests since.

Development of the MRJ has suffered a series of delays. In December last year, Mitsubishi Heavy said it was postponing delivery of the planes by one year to the second quarter of 2018 for system software upgrades and other design changes.

The twin-engine MRJ marks a new chapter in Japan’s aviation sector, which last built a commercial airliner in 1962 — the YS-11 turboprop, made by Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corp, a consortium that included Mitsubishi Heavy, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. Production was stopped in 1974 after 182 of the planes were sold.

The MRJ will compete with other regional passenger jet manufacturers such as Brazil’s Embraer SA and Canada’s Bombardier Inc.

Mitsubishi Heavy unveiled the jet in October last year and has received more than 400 orders.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

 

[CountStrike]

Troubled Mitsubishi jet could miss own party in US

The MRJ is having a little trouble getting off the ground.

NAGOYA -- Mitsubishi Aircraft is working to nail down why it had to abort the flight of a Mitsubishi Regional Jet prototype two days in a row this past weekend over the air management system.

The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries unit wants to fly the MRJ prototype to the U.S. so that it will be there for the Sept. 9 official opening of the company's new main flight test base in Moses Lake, Washington state.


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http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Troubled-Mitsubishi-jet-could-miss-own-party-in-US

 

[ahojunk]

Troubled Mitsubishi jet could miss own party in US

The MRJ is having a little trouble getting off the ground.

NAGOYA -- Mitsubishi Aircraft is working to nail down why it had to abort the flight of a Mitsubishi Regional Jet prototype two days in a row this past weekend over the air management system.

The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries unit wants to fly the MRJ prototype to the U.S. so that it will be there for the Sept. 9 official opening of the company's new main flight test base in Moses Lake, Washington state.


To read the full story, Subscribe or Log in

Get your first month for $0.99

Redeemable only through the Subscribe button below
http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Troubled-Mitsubishi-jet-could-miss-own-party-in-US

Putting together a technological complex piece of equipment such as an airplane is incredibly difficult.

There are bound to be teething problems.

Let's hope that Mitsubishi is able to sort out these problems soon.

 

[hoangsa74]

no airline is willing to take the risk of ordering planes from manufacturer that has zero safety record; that kind of risk is just too big, I mean extremely BIG. Any pdfers want to risk your life flying a plane that the producer has no history of safety record?

 

[CountStrike]

Statment From Mitsubishi:

Mitsubishi Heavy Corp. said it’s sticking to the schedule of handing over its first plane in 2018 after issues with the jet’s air conditioning ventilator this weekend grounded the plane from further test flights.

Mitsubishi is working with United Technologies Corp., which makes the aircraft’s air conditioning, to fix the problem, the Japanese company’s spokesman Yuji Sawamura said by phone from Nagoya. ANA Holdings Ltd., operator of Japan’s biggest airline, is the launch customer for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, also known as the MRJ.

"There is a delay in the U.S. test flight, but we are sure that we can still deliver the plane on time in 2018," Sawamura said. Mitsubishi also said it is considering changing the date of a scheduled function at a U.S. test flight center from the original Sept. 9.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-will-meet-2018-delivery-plan-mitsubishi-says

 

[CountStrike]

Lessor Aerolease Aviation firms order for up to 20 MRJ
Aug 31, 2016

• 
  
  MRJ
  
  Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp.
  RELATED MEDIA
  
  Gallery: The News in Pictures-August 2016
  
  Miami-headquartered lessor Aerolease Aviation has finalized an order for 10 Mitsubishi MRJs and 10 options, firming a letter of intent signed at the 2016 Singapore Airshow.
  
  The two companies signed a definitive purchase agreement Aug. 31, paving the way for the first delivery to Aerolease in 2018.
  
  Privately owned Aerolease Aviation was founded in 1986. It primarily deals in used aircraft and has a portfolio of over 40 owned or managed Boeing 757s.
  
  Aerolease is the first lessor to ink a firm order for the MRJ, taking the aircraft program to 233 firm orders, 170 options and 24 purchase rights. A further 10 firm aircraft and 10 options will be added to the backlog when Mitsubishi finalizes its tentative agreement with Swedish lessor Rockton Aviation.
  
  “The MRJ has an unmatched fuel efficiency, passenger comfort and environmental performance, which will provide new values of the regional jet to the market and customers. Aerolease is committed to cooperate with Mitsubishi Aircraft as an MRJ partner to expand its global customer base and to help enhance the asset value of the MRJ,” Aerolease Aviation partner Jep Thornton said.
  
  Mitsubishi has recently experienced some technical problems with the MRJ’s air management system, forcing it to abort a positioning flight to the US where four of its aircraft are scheduled to perform the majority of their test flying. The program is alreadyheavily delayed.
  http://atwonline.com/manufacturers/lessor-aerolease-aviation-firms-order-20-mrjs

MRJ locks down first lessor order with Aerolease agreement

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• 31 AUGUST, 2016
  

Miami-based Aerolease Aviation has firmed an order for 10 Mitsubishi Aircraft MRJ90 regional jets and options for 10 more.

The Japanese airframer says a “definitive” agreement has been signed. A letter of intent for the acquisition was originally announced at the Singapore Air Show in February.

Deliveries are to commence in 2018.

“We are pleased to become the world’s first aircraft leasing company to conclude a definitive agreement for the purchase of the MRJ,” says Jep Thornton, partner at Aerolease Aviation.

“Aerolease is committed to cooperate with Mitsubishi Aircraft as an MRJ partner to expand its global customer base and to help enhance the asset value of the MRJ.”

The deal brings the MRJ commitment book to 427 aircraft: 233 firm orders, 170 options, and 24 purchase rights.

Mitsubishi Aircraft

Mitsubishi Aircraft adds that 20 aircraft will be added when a definitive agreement is signed with Swedish lessor Rockton. At June’s Farnborough air show, Rockton signed a letter of intent covering a firm order for 10 MRJ90s and options for 10.

The Aerolease news comes after a difficult weekend for the MRJ programme, which had to abort two attempts to fly to the US over the weekend.

Mitsubishi says the aircraft, FTA-1, had an issue with its air management system, prompting the turn back.

The airframer has been working towards an August timeline to bring FTA-1 to the US, so as to accelerate its flight-test programme and provide a buffer for technical or certification issues that could arise. The original schedule was for a ferry flight in the fourth quarter of the year.

Mitsubishi plans to bring four of its flight test aircraft to the US within 2016. It is targeting certification of the MRJ in early 2018, and to deliver the aircraft to launch customer All Nippon Airways in the middle of the year.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...-first-lessor-order-with-aerolease-ag-428917/

 

[ahojunk]

Miami-headquartered lessor Aerolease Aviation has finalized an order for 10 Mitsubishi MRJs and 10 options, firming a letter of intent signed at the 2016 Singapore Airshow.

The two companies signed a definitive purchase agreement Aug. 31, paving the way for the first delivery to Aerolease in 2018.

.
This is a good development for Mitsubishi MRJ.

Hope their issues are resolved soon and MRJ meets its targeted certification in early 2018.

Following that, I am sure more orders will flow in.

Congrats to Mitsubishi and Japan.

 

[BoQ77]

MRJ set to be appeared in Moses Lake testing center in 9 September.
Due to two aborted flights, the plan could be cancelled.

This is the reason for someone to criticize Mitsubishi Aircraft

 

[CountStrike]

17:35 9 September 2016

Mitsubishi Regional Jet test flight resumed in Japan
NAGOYA, Sept. 9, Kyodo

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. resumed on Friday a test flight of its passenger jet in Japan after a problem with the plane's air-conditioning system caused flights to be aborted.



The Mitsubishi Regional Jet, which has been mired in a series of development delays, flew for the first time since the air-conditioning system failure forced it to return to Japan in late August before reaching the United States for test flights.



The MRJ, Japan's first domestically produced passenger jet, took off from Nagoya airport at 12:15 p.m., after the problem was fixed by consulting the U.S. manufacturer of the air-conditioning system.
http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2016/09/433068.html

 

[CountStrike]

JAPAN'S NEWEST JET
New MRJ hiccups revive manufacturing industry’s jitters
BY KAZUAKI NAGATA

STAFF WRITER

ARTICLE HISTORY

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The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is back in the spotlight after flights to the United States were canceled last month because of problems with the air-conditioning system.

The MRJ has been delayed four times so far. With hopes for a manufacturing revival resting on Japan’s first domestically made plane since 1974, what are its prospects for success?

Here are some questions and answers about the quest to produce the MRJ.

How did the MRJ project begin?

It all started in 2002, when the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry proposed the idea of making a small, environmentally friendly passenger plane. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries decided to take on the project.

Japan is no stranger to making fighter jets, but this essentially represented the first domestic attempt to produce a commercial plane since the YS-11, a turboprop made by Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. that was halted in 1974. Nihon Aircraft was a consortium comprising MHI, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and Fuji Heavy Industries.

Since then, Japanese companies have been making parts in conjunction with major plane makers such as Boeing Co. and Airbus Group SE.

MHI and KHI, for example, are both so-called tier 1 suppliers for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, providing the primary wings and forward fuselages, respectively.

The tier 1 contractors are positioned directly under the plane makers themselves in the supply chain framework.

Why does Mitsubishi Heavy want to make jets?

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., a Nagoya-based affiliate of MHI that is overseeing the MRJ project, says it fears that being a simple parts maker could see it get trapped in price wars with more competitive rivals from China or elsewhere. MHI is thus trying to avoid the same fate that befell its counterparts in the TV, computer and electronics sectors.

“We want to take things one step further, to become a real jet maker,” said Yuji Sawamura, a spokesman for Mitsubishi Aircraft.

Akinobu Okuda, a research director who monitors the aviation industry for Mitsubishi Research Institute, concurred, emphasizing that the company needs a larger goal.

“A tier 1 business is about making products whose specifications are designed by jet makers, such as Boeing and Airbus. … Even if tier 1 suppliers make good products, jet makers might demand they make them better and cheaper,” which will shrink their profits, he said.

According to Okuda, being a plane maker will give the firm the freedom to decide from the get-go what to make, and control of the overall supply chain, Okuda said.

But a jet makers’ business does not end at making planes. It must also provide continuous maintenance and support to the airlines that use them. Okuda said adding those businesses will help diversify MHI’s revenue sources.

Japanese manufacturers should adopt business models like these that can rake in long-term profits rather than settle for being suppliers, he said.

According to Sawamura, if all goes well, the MRJ endeavor could bring about a positive shift in the Japanese manufacturing industry and its way of thinking.

About 70 percent of the MRJ’s parts are made by overseas firms, since there are just a handful of aviation-related parts makers in Japan. But if MHI establishes itself as a jet maker, Japan can strengthen the aviation manufacturing sector, potentially creating more business opportunities for small and midsize firms. Such a shift would be reminiscent of Japan’s thriving auto industry, which continues to support a web of smaller parts makers.

The bounty could be enormous: Jets require more than a million parts, or over 30 times more than cars, which only contain about 30,000.

Can the MRJ survive the competition?

The market for regional jets, generally defined as planes with 50 to 100 seats, like the MRJ, is dominated by two firms — Brazil’s Embraer SA and Canada’s Bombardier Inc. — but Okuda believes the MRJ can break their stranglehold on the market.

“It’s a good time to enter the market … because Bombardier is shifting its focus to larger jets,” he said.

According to Japan Aircraft Development Corp., a Tokyo-based firm researching passenger jet development, planes in the 120-169 seat class are projected to enjoy the strongest demand between 2016 and 2035, with demand for regional jets expected to grow to around 3,600 planes.

Okuda said it won’t be easy for Bombardier to expand market share for planes bigger than 100 seats while competing against Boeing and Airbus. He also said Bombardier has been in dire financial straits and may not be able to develop new, competitive regional jets, creating a potential opening for the MRJ.

What are the MRJ’s selling points?

Mitsubishi Aircraft says the MRJ is 20 percent more fuel efficient than existing regional jets as it uses a cutting-edge engine made by U.S.-based Pratt & Whitney.

Since fuel is a huge cost for airlines, fuel-efficient planes are immensely appealing.

Sawamura at Mitsubishi Aircraft also said that while the jet may be small, its seats are as wide as those in midsize planes and its cabin is spacious, with a high ceiling.

Will the two flight cancellations to the U.S. affect the company’s business plan?

Commercial delivery of the MRJ has been delayed four times so far.

The two aborted flights at Nagoya Airport were caused when a sensor indicated there was a problem with the air conditioning system.

Sawamura, however, said that a check found nothing wrong and that the MRJ will soon be ready to go to the U.S. to conduct test flights. Okuda said the air conditioning trouble is unlikely to significantly affect long-term plans.

The test flights in the U.S. are needed for the plane to be certified by the Japanese transport ministry.

How is the MRJ doing from a business perspective?

In term of sticking to the initial schedule, it hasn’t been a smooth ride.

Mitsubishi Aircraft originally expected deliveries to start in 2013, but now the first delivery is set for 2018.

So far, Mitsubishi Aircraft has received 427 orders for the MRJ from clients including All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines and U.S.-based Skywest.

While refusing to disclose the break-even point for the jet, the firm has said its goal for now is to sell 1,000. In the aviation industry, a model is considered a hit if sales reach 1,000.

More than ¥30 billion has reportedly been poured into the MRJ’s development, but Mitsubishi Aircraft declined to confirm that number and said it would recover the costs in the long run.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...-manufacturing-industry-jitters/#.V-JykfB97IU

 

[CountStrike]

Mitsubishi Said to Plan MRJ Flight to U.S. as Early as Monday

Kiyotaka Matsuda

Chris Cooper ChrisTokyo
September 26, 2016 — 10:59 AM ICT
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The Mitsubishi Regional Jet.


Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
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Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., the builder of Japan’s first home-made passenger jet, is planning to fly its initial test plane to the U.S. as early as Monday after aborting flights last month, a person familiar with the plan said.

The flight depends on good weather, said the person, who asked not to be named as the information isn’t public. Company spokeswoman Miho Takahashi declined to comment on the date of the flight.

The flight resumption will give a boost to the program after the company -- a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. -- had to take the plane back to the hangar after two aborted test flights in as many days in late August. Japan is trying to break the regional-jet duopoly of Brazil’s Embraer SA and Canada’s Bombardier Inc. with its new jet, which can seat as many as 92 people.


The aircraft, which made its first test flight in November last year, will fly to Moses Lake, Washington in the U.S. The company plans to fly four test aircraft to the U.S. this year.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...mrj-flight-to-u-s-as-early-as-monday-itjiyosp

 

[Beast]

no airline is willing to take the risk of ordering planes from manufacturer that has zero safety record; that kind of risk is just too big, I mean extremely BIG. Any pdfers want to risk your life flying a plane that the producer has no history of safety record?

Yes, japanese themselves.

Same as ARJ-21. Fortunately, China aviation has a huge appetite and all airliner are state owned. Once its proven its safety use for many years. Foreigner will start to look at it.

 

[CountStrike]

September 27, 2016 2:30 pm JST
Mitsubishi jet makes maiden overseas flight

The MRJ leaves for its maiden overseas flight at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido.

TOKYO -- Mitsubishi Aircraft's Japan-built passenger jet made its maiden overseas flight en route to the U.S. for testing.

The first Mitsubishi Regional Jet, which had left Nagoya Airport in Aichi Prefecture, on Monday, took off from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido at 9:20 a.m. on Tuesday and arrived at an airport in Russia's Kamchatka after noon.



The jet is scheduled to fly over Russia and the U.S. state of Alaska, depending on weather and other conditions. It is expected to arrive at the city of Moses Lake in the U.S. state of Washington on Thursday, Japan time, at the earliest.

This is the third attempt by the MRJ to reach the U.S. for testing, after aborting flights twice in late August. The plan is to send four MRJs to the U.S. for intensive testing, to meet a deadline of mid-2018.

(Nikkei)

 

[CountStrike]

PICTURES: MRJ arrives in Moses Lake for flight tests

 

[CountStrike]

Mitsubishi jet delivery pushed back again

The first MRJ test aircraft, seen here taking off in Japan, has arrived in the U.S.

NAGOYA -- Initial delivery of Mitsubishi Aircraft's regional passenger plane will be postponed beyond the current target of mid-2018 owing to design changes, it was learned Friday.

The unit of Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has notified partners of the delay. The first Mitsubishi Regional Jet is now likely to be handed off to buyer ANA Holdings in 2019 or later.



The redesign is seen forcing changes to volume production, pushing the initial delivery date back for a fifth time. The latest delay could add to the roughly 300 billion yen ($2.96 billion), including public funds, already spent developing the Japanese-made short- to medium-haul plane.

The first MRJ test aircraft made its maiden flight in November 2015. But Mitsubishi Aircraft said the following month that initial delivery would be rescheduled from the April-June quarter of 2017 to the middle of 2018 to allow for upgrades and additional test items.

More test aircraft have since been added to move development along. Volume production has begun as well. But Mitsubishi Aircraft has taken another look at the MRJ's design to rebalance the aircraft after apparently repositioning certain components. The changes apparently rule out mid-2018 delivery. The delay is not expected to affect ANA's flight plans.

Mitsubishi Aircraft plans to log a total of 2,500 flight hours using five test aircraft to earn a type certificate, a badge of airworthiness. The bulk of this testing will take place at Moses Lake in the U.S. state of Washington, prized for its favorable weather conditions.

The first jet touched down there Wednesday local time, with three more to follow later. Testing will continue in parallel with design changes.

(Nikkei)