Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has announced that the maiden flight of the first MRJ (Mitsu...
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has announced that the maiden flight of the first MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet) prototype, FTA1, will take place in the second half of October 2015.
The flight lasting approximately one hour will be carried out from Nagoya Airport in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Further details will be disclosed near the end of September, and the exact date of the first flight will be announced one day before the first flight.The flight test program will use five aircraft.
The static strength tests including wing-up bending and cabin pressurization, carried out at MHI's Komaki South Plant, Nagoya on FTA2, has confirmed the aircraft is safe for flight and meets the industry standards.
During the wing-up bending testing, the maximum load that the aircraft is expected to experience while flying was applied to the wing.
Mitsubishi has opened and started full operations of its development center in Seattle, the Seattle Engineering Center (SEC) to speed up the aircraft development and to accelerate the development of the MRJ.
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 employs approximately 150 members, including about 100 engineers recruited mainly in Seattle and about 50 engineers from Japan.
Grant County airport provides the long 4,000-meter runways necessary for special flight tests that are difficult to be conducted in Japan and offers clear blue skies in keeping with the location's more than 90% sunny day average.
The MRJ is a family of 70- to 90-seat next-generation regional jets that will offer substantially higher fuel efficiency combined with reductions in noise and emissions, and also provide spacious cabin comfort on a level unprecedented in regional jets to date.
Advanced aerodynamics and weight reduction achieved through cutting-edge technology with the use of composite materials, and a newly developed fuel efficient next-generation engine all contribute to an over 20% reduction in fuel consumption compared with other regional jets currently in operation.
Mitsubishi have already received orders for 407 aircraft of the MRJ (223 firm), and the MRJ’s rollout ceremony was held last October 2014.
The MRJ is powered by the Pratt & Whitney PurePower (R) PW1200G geared turbofan (GTF) engines, which will deliver significant operating cost and environmental benefits through increased efficiency.
The P&W's PurePower GTF engine family features the low-pressure system of the engine, operating at high speeds for peak efficiency, while the fan operates at slower speeds for both optimum efficiency and significantly less noise. Better efficiency means fewer engine stages are required, reducing airfoil count, engine weight and operating cost.
