Thu, Oct 11, 2007
Industrial Program To Launch Next Spring
Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries has thrown its hat in the jet manufacturing ring, by
marketing a new family of 70-90 passenger regional jets.
MHI announced on October 9 it would launch its version of a twin
engined RJ called the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) with a
marketing campaign and an industrial program in the spring next
year, according to the Financial Times. As ANN reported, the company
has worked on-and-off on the MRJ program for several years.
The company says it has formally offered its MRJ to airlines
worldwide, in hopes of delivering in five years. The development of
the MHI-built jet will make the MRJ a breakthrough as the first
commercial passenger jet designed and built in Japan.
MHI, the manufacturer of the YS-11 turboprop, had long been
looking for opportunities to develop commercial jets since it
discontinued that twin engine airliner in 1973, as reported in the
Financial Times.
The launch of the MRJ will adopt a new Pratt & Whitney
geared turbofan, which it hopes will reduce fuel burn and
emissions, while cutting engine noise and maintenance costs. A
flight test program of the jet propulsion engine will begin next
year after a full scale ground demonstration that is planned
sometime before the end of this year. US engine maker Pratt &
Whitney has spent 20 years and $1 billion developing the geared
turbofan.
Using a slogan of "Flying into the Future", the entry of the
Japanese into the commercial jet manufacturing business will pitt
them against the global leaders in the regional jet sector of
passenger jets with 100 seats or less.
Citing a demand of 5,000 aircraft forecast to fill the RJ class
in the next 20-years, MHI hopes to enter service of the MRJ by
2013, competing with Canada's Bombardier and Embraer of Brazil. The
RJ market is growing with interest, as both Russian and the Chinese
are also developing regional jests to compete with those
established companies.
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