Mitsubishi has tried not to let lackluster sales tarnish an efficiently run development campaign for the MRJ regional jet, the first metal for which workers cut during a ceremony in Nagoya, Japan, last week. As promised, the program passed its detailed design reviews by the end of the summer. The company has frozen the final configuration of the 88-seat MRJ90 and reached conclusions about the changes needed for the 76-seat MRJ70 and the still unlaunched 100-seat MRJ100X. Project partners have now started manufacturing various components for which they carry responsibility, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries–the company responsible for the MRJ’s fuselage, wing and empennage, along with final assembly and equipment installation–has fabricated the first aluminum joint rib for the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer.
Meanwhile, BAE Systems has signed a new multi-year agreement with Mitsubishi Aircraft under which it will initially provide engineering development and integration services related to flight-test equipment and systems for the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G-powered aircraft. The new contract builds upon an existing contract under which a team from BAE Systems’ Regional Aircraft business at Prestwick, Scotland, supports engineering on a number of work packages, including the powerplant, pylon, nacelle, auxiliary power units and fuel systems.
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