Resorting to worn-out business-speak to describe the merits of any new aircraft program has become customary, but Trans States Holdings president Rick Leach’s description of the Mitsubishi MRJ as a “game-changing regional jet” might actually apply this time. After all, Mitsubishi has changed its own game plan rather late in the development process by deciding to forego composite wing boxes in favor of more traditional aluminum, enlarge the airplane’s cabin and consolidate its two cargo holds into a single 644-cu-ft aft compartment.
One might have wondered what precipitated the changes–particularly of the wing structure–given that Mitsubishi distinguished the MRJ concept from its competition largely with its plans for extensive use of composites. Coincidently, Mitsubishi makes the composite wings for the Boeing 787, a project that has experienced its share of troubles–most notoriously with delamination of the wing skins near the end of the structures’ stringers during static testing. Of course, one wouldn’t expect Mitsubishi to declare that its decision to switch to aluminum wing boxes in any way reflects its experience with the 787. In fact, it might not. But the prospect has raised some profound questions about the readiness of composite technology for use in such load-bearing components.
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