Mitsubishi Aircraft hopes to advance the start of flight testing of the first MRJ90 in the U.S. from the fourth quarter of this year to some time in the summer, raising the possibility that it could gain certification as much as two months earlier than the official delivery target of mid-2018. Speaking with AIN ahead of the Farnborough Airshow, Mitsubishi Aircraft head of strategic marketing Hideyuki Kamiya reported that since MRJ FTA-1 resumed flight testing in Japan in February and FTA-2 flew for the first time in May, results have proved encouraging enough to consider ferrying the airplane to the U.S. ahead of schedule.
“To expedite to the summer, if we continue to see flight testing go smoothly, and if we get approval [from the U.S. FAA and Japan’s JCAB], it’s not such a difficult target I think,” said Kamiya.
Mitsubishi (Chalet D7, Outdoor Exhibit 7) flew the first flight-test aircraft three times last November before withdrawing the machine from operation to incorporate planned structural and systems changes. In late January, Mitsubishi revealed details of the strengthening modifications, deemed necessary after static test results begun in May 2015 indicated a weakness in the airframe and wing attachment. As a result, it installed additional “plates” to reinforce parts on the center wing box. Mitsubishi then changed the design for the production airplanes to account for more robust structure.
Other improvements incorporated during the pause in flight-testing included software updates. However, Kamiya contradicted reports that Mitsubishi needed to perform structural reinforcement of the landing gear. “After initial taxi tests, we knew we needed to adjust a sensor,” he said. “But it was really not a big deal.”
After flying 22 test missions with FTA-1 by early May, Mitsubishi expressed eagerness to start flying out of Moses Lake, Washington, as soon as possible, allowing it to take full advantage of the area’s more favorable flying conditions, lack of airspace congestion and unfettered access to the airport’s runways due to a lack of scheduled service there. In Japan, the airplane could fly at most twice a day, explained Kamiya, because of the congested skies and often-inclement weather the company regularly encounters.
Other testing sites in the U.S. include Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport in Colorado for high-altitude takeoff and landing trials, Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico for special runway testing and McKinley Climatic Laboratory in Florida for extreme environment testing.
All told, Mitsubishi plans to ferry four of the five flight test articles to the U.S., while the fifth, FTA-5–painted in the livery of launch customer ANA—performs autopilot testing in Japan. As FTV 1 and 2 perform functional and performance testing, plans call for FTA-3 to test flight characteristics and avionics and for FTA-4 to perform interior, noise and anti-icing trials.
Processing of flight test data will take place at Mitsubishi’s engineering center in Seattle, established last August in collaboration with locally based Aerospace Testing Engineering & Certification (AeroTEC) specifically to administer MRJ testing in the U.S.
Kamiya said early fuel burn tests validated claimed consumption rates, and that the test pilots reported that handling characteristics have proved “better” than what they experienced in the simulator.
European Goal
From a marketing perspective, Kamiya confirmed that Europe stands as a prime target for Mitsubishi. As of May holding firm orders for 223 airplanes, 170 of which came from U.S. airlines, Mitsubishi continues to work with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)—as well as the FAA—in anticipation of an eventual presence in Europe. Its first sale there remains elusive, however. Kamiya explained that prospective customers have indicated they want to wait for Mitsubishi to disclose more flight test results before making any firm decisions. “This is not only the case with European airlines,” said Kamiya. However, he acknowledged that the proposed 100-seat MRJ100X largely emerged as a product from European demand.
In the U.S., scope clause language in mainline pilot contracts continues to limit airplanes at regional airlines to below the maximum takeoff weight of the MRJ90, which U.S. airlines have expressed a desire to configure in a dual-class, 76-passenger cabin layout. (Mitsubishi lists the MRJ90’s standard single-class capacity at 88 passengers.) If scope clauses in the U.S. do not loosen in time for planned first deliveries of the MRJ90 in the second half of 2018, Mitsubishi’s two biggest customers—SkyWest and Trans States Airlines—can exercise rights to convert their orders to the lighter MRJ70. However, Mitsubishi’s schedules call for certification of that airplane roughly a year after its target for the MRJ90, meaning yet another delivery delay for the U.S. customers.
Of course, Mitsubishi now stands liable for four major delays of the MRJ90, the most recent of which moved planned certification from the second quarter of 2017 to the second quarter of 2018.
Confirming the latest delivery-schedule revision in late December, Mitsubishi acknowledged that a new program review reflected additions to and revisions of original test items, as well as its joint engineering work with U.S. partners aimed at ensuring a “better-integrated” aircraft. The review resulted in a new MRJ development structure intended to ensure “prompt execution” of all activities, with roles and responsibilities assigned among three engineering bases in the twocountries.
Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Aircraft looks after type certification documentation and coordination with airworthiness authorities, flight tests, manufacturing preparation and customer support. In the U.S., the Seattle Engineering Center has taken over design development and responsibility for innovating technological“solutions.”
This fourth MRJ delay, which follows discussions with U.S. partner AeroTec, allowed for at least a two-month test schedule buffer. U.S. flight tests and support, including data analysis and report writing, take places at AeroTec’s Moses Lake Test Center at Grant County International Airport in Washington state. AeroTec provides data analysis, FAA certification and flight-testing services to manufacturers like Honeywell and Lockheed Martin and aircraft modification companies such as Aviation Partners Boeing and RaisbeckEngineering.
After consulting AeroTec, Mitsubishi took what it characterized as a more realistic approach to scheduling the MRJ flight-test program. Discussions had stimulated caution last year as the manufacturer approached the MRJ’s flight readiness. A thorough review identified a number of different items added to pre-flight-testwork.
