Sitting a day after the inflight shutdown.

JA24MJ conducted two flight tests yesterday.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja24mj#ec33501
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja24mj#ec40845

What's she doing in Phoenix? Heat testing?

I don't know why but she is in Phoenix since August 12. There was another flight yesterday and according to newest information, this is the grounding's beginning of the end. It seems like the cause of the engine failure wasn't that fatal and other engines can be fixed when "appropriate measures are implemented".
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja24mj#ec6592b
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/article/20170908/ARTICLE/170909933

Remaining MRJs cleared to resume flight tests:

Mitsubishi Aircraft’s remaining three MRJ regional jet test aircraft have received regulatory approval to resume flight testing.

The manufacturer has been flying aircraft FTA-4 since 6 September, however FTA’s -1,-2 and -3 required approval from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for them to return to the air.

...

Following an engine change, the aircraft was ferried a week later back to its base at Moses Lake on 28 August.

The manufacturer is still in the final investigation of what caused the shutdown, but says that “current analysis tells us that the incident from August on FTA-2 is isolated and the rest of the MRJ flight test aircraft were inspected and cleared as they were not affected.”

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ts-441044/

I wonder if problems in the PW GTF can affect the projects MRJ-70/90 and EMB 175 E2 to the point of leading to further delays to EIS.

JA23MJ landed at PAE yesterday:

https://twitter.com/mattcawby/status/907716675063078912

According to Chunichi Shimbun, the sixth MRJ will be based in Japan, whereas at least the seventh and eight will be flown to Moses Lake. Furthermore, The Nikkei reports that these ferry flights will begin in autumn 2018.

https://twitter.com/flyingnikon/status/910714980198113280
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASFD20H2O_Q7A920C1L91000/

Btw, all MRJs with the exception of JA22MJ have conducted test flights in the past few days.

I'm amazed the program will use 10 test frames. That must be expensive. Make it 11 if one includes the static test frame.

That's what I was wondering too - can't think of another commercial airliner wanting 10 test frames ! Presumably most will be refurbished for airline ops once done on the testing.

The Chunichi report said #7 and #10 are mass production frame. Seems like they'd be used to perform tests that need to be done on redesigned aircraft.

And the MRJ final assembly facility will be open to public starting from late November this year, coincide with the opening of Aichi aviation museum at NKM

I guess they want to knock out those 2500 hours real fast.

TC957 wrote:

That's what I was wondering too - can't think of another commercial airliner wanting 10 test frames ! Presumably most will be refurbished for airline ops once done on the testing.

It seems the Japanese and Chinese are having a real hard time with their respective programs. I was astonished to learn that the Comac was going to perform its second flight until October. On the other hand you see the MC-21 already performed its 15th flight already.

Sounds a bit like the criticism of non technical award project managers:
1 woman can have a child in 9 months, but try as they might 9 when can our have a child in 1 month.

I wonder are they leaving enough time to learn what ever they need to learn during the test campaign

ordell wrote:

What's she doing in Phoenix? Heat testing?

Right. Mitsubishi says the tests were "very successful". http://progress.flythemrj.com/mrj-hot-weather-testing-phoenix-arizona

I'm amazed the program will use 10 test frames. That must be expensive. Make it 11 if one includes the static test frame.

This surely has to do with the first frames not being valid for certification tests, as was discussed earlier in the thread. So they have to build new ones and pass the certification tests on those. In this case, Mitsubishi doesn't have a choice.
The good thing is that these frames can likely be more lightly instrumented than the first which are absorbing the development tests, and are thus more easily convertable to airline config later on.

https://trafficnews.jp/post/78717
"MRJ Museum" will open in Aichi on Nov30 in the final assembly factory.
In the 5-floor 1150-m2 exhibition space, visitors can see the assembling process of MRJ from the second floor, and numerous life-sized model for body and engine of the aircraf. It will also introduce information related to technology development and manufacturing process.
The museum will open in most weekday/holidays except start/end of year or Tuesday. To see the assembling process of MRJ, visitors would first have to make a booking on the official website, and the booking system will be available from by the end of October.

Seems like making adjustments to JA25MJ is progressing gradually as the newest footage shows that she has a new grey radome. Any idea why they would change the radome?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krTI-Ye2jKo


Besides that, JA22MJ has visited Santa Maria (SMX) from November 12th to 16th for some reason.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja22mj

And 26 is rolling out. No engines yet though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43qqtYTDhcE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6d-t8oUG4o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2fSARIlkUs (quite a few hulls in the background)

Immediately to the right of the main passenger door there is a bit of equipment. Possibly an AoA-vane or static port. Does anyone know if this is for testing only, or if all MRJs will have this? It does not seem wise to have this equipment so close to door L1, where a jetbridge, airstairs or passengers might (accidentally or not) touch them.

https://static.straitstimes.com.sg/site ... k=9H3kIq_z

So what was the story behind JA25MJ? It was supposed to be the 5th test aircraft but never took to the skies?

Right, they decided to use it exclusively for ground tests for the time being after announcing the latest delay.

So in the case of FTA-6, even Mitsubishi went for Eurowhite now. Besides that, there are already two frames which will become MRJ70s.

According to Chunichi Shimbun, the test program has exceeded 1200 flight hours in September and the MRJ will soon conduct type certification flights by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). These flights should beginn within this year and will be completed early next year. In addition, the FAA is also planning to commence certification flights soon. At the moment, the MRJ will obtain its type certificate as planned in 2019.
http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/front/list/CK2017112002000043.html

On the other hand, Swift Air (formerly Eastern Air Lines) is likely to cancel its order of 20 MRJs (+ 20 options).
https://asia.nikkei.com/Japan-Update/Mitsubishi-s-long-delayed-jet-to-take-flight-in-harsher-climate

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Compan ... er-climate

This really stuck out at me:

Development costs for the MRJ, originally projected at just shy of 200 billion yen, appear to have skyrocketed to nearly 500 billion yen. Seeking to accelerate the certification process, Mitsubishi Heavy President Shunichi Miyanaga laid out a plan in January to hire foreign technicians in droves. Workers from overseas now make up more than 600 of a development staff totaling about 2,000, with internationally experienced pros leading operations.

The company once had a chance for a course correction. One veteran worker central to development on the craft was approached seven years ago by a Boeing officer who proposed using 737 cockpits in the MRJ. Sharing the cockpit would lower training costs for pilots and mechanics, as well as reduce reluctance to adopt the new craft. But Mitsubishi Aircraft executives laughed down that golden opportunity.

"They were stuck on the idea of self-sufficient development," the veteran worker said.

Though the use of a 737 cockpit would not have resolved the current issues.

I doubt that you can call a B737NG cockpit a course correction.

First of all because it's an outdated, messy cockpit design. I especially don't like the overhead panel. If you would take that ugly thing out and lay it flat on the floor, a baby would mistake it for one of those boards where you learn to fit shapes.



http://wildflowerramblings.com/



http://postachio-images.s3.amazonaws.co ... 7db0ee.jpg

Waterbomber wrote:

I doubt that you can call a B737NG cockpit a course correction.

First of all because it's an outdated, messy cockpit design. I especially don't like the overhead panel. If you would take that ugly thing out and lay it flat on the floor, a baby would mistake it for one of those boards where you learn to fit shapes.

Have to admit the Japanese did come up with a clean design.

JA25MJ is now with engines:


https://twitter.com/ja6817/status/935508066274983937

https://asia.nikkei.com/magazine/201711 ... -prospects

After repeated delays in rolling out Japan's first passenger jet in nearly five decades, Mitsubishi Aircraft now finds itself in danger of losing an order for 40 of the roughly 450 Mitsubishi Regional Jets it has so far agreed to sell.

Mitsubishi Aircraft's latest problem started with a major shift among U.S. regional airlines. In September 2014, the company took orders for 40 MRJs, including options, from Eastern Airlines following the carrier's reappearance in 2009 -- it had been one of the top four carriers in the U.S. before ceasing operations in 1991.

But Eastern ran into trouble again and was acquired in June this year by Swift Air, which announced plans to increase its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft from 13 to about 18 -- but the new owner failed to mention the previously ordered MRJs.

This caused a major stir at Mitsubishi. "Maintaining the orders will be difficult," an insider familiar with the deal admitted.

Although a Mitsubishi Aircraft representative said the company "can't talk about individual contracts," it is likely that the order, worth nearly 200 billion yen, will be canceled. If so, Mitsubishi would have to shoulder much of the blame, as it has repeatedly failed to meet delivery deadlines, most recently pushing the promised delivery date of 2019 back even further.

Mitsubishi has uploaded a quite interesting article about the way of working at the Moses Lake Flight Test Center. They say they've already taken "major steps" with "tests for static strength, natural icing, cold and hot soak, cargo smoke containment and hot weather" and the takeoff cancellation rate seems to be at 1%.
http://progress.flythemrj.com/inside-moses-lake-flight-test-center

With 1,500 flying hours in the pocket the MRJ program is now halfway through the test campaign.

For the life of me, I just don't see how the MRJ is going to gain much market acceptance.

Very similar in ways to the ERJ, but lacking in a number of crucial areas (family, overhead bins impairing turnarounds, lower range without substantial OEW benefits).

If folks see the CSeries as fitting into a small niche, the MRJ niche must be microscopic.

Amiga500 wrote:

For the life of me, I just don't see how the MRJ is going to gain much market acceptance.

Very similar in ways to the ERJ, but lacking in a number of crucial areas (family, overhead bins impairing turnarounds, lower range without substantial OEW benefits).

If folks see the CSeries as fitting into a small niche, the MRJ niche must be microscopic.

It's a shame to see what's become of the MRJ. Hopefully, they can get through the issues and make the MRJ a success. In hindsight, imagine what would have happened if Bombardier had teamed up in a joint venture with Mitsubishi? A lighter MRJ (with Bombardier's composite wings/fuselage) would have made a great CRJ replacement for America. Why stop there, Mitsubishi and Bombardier could have teamed up on the CSeries if either of them were serious about becoming big players in the market. Mitsubishi has the money, and Bombardier seems to have a bit more expertise.

I am actually curious if Bombardier ever tried pitching the CSeries to Mitsubishi like they did to Boeing and Airbus.

LockheedBBD wrote:

I am actually curious if Bombardier ever tried pitching the CSeries to Mitsubishi like they did to Boeing and Airbus.

Indeed.

I'd consider it unlikely - but obviously am guessing.

MITAC could not team up on the Cseries.
Remember that their parent company is a major Boeing supplier.

The Japanese are also especially lousy about partnering with foreign firms.

ordell wrote:

The Japanese are also especially lousy about partnering with foreign firms.

Well, Mitsubishi is partnering with Boeing for quite a long time.

Mitsubishi has revealed some information, photos and footage today. Both JA26MJ and JA27MJ have been painted in a newly built painting facility in a eurowhite livery and JA25MJ underwent an "APU parking noise test" which was "successful". 26 and 27 already have the adjusted design. Meanwhile, even Mitsubishi Heavy Industries CEO Shunichi Miyanaga expects Swift Air to cancel the order.
http://www.flythemrj.com/media/pdf/MRJ%20Newsletter_Vol.29_E_20171221.pdf
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/12/16/business/corporate-business/mitsubishi-regional-jet-faces-first-order-cancellation/#.WjwahUsiHSk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj4Llrc_0EU

JA786A wrote:

ordell wrote:

The Japanese are also especially lousy about partnering with foreign firms.

Well, Mitsubishi is partnering with Boeing for quite a long time.

What is going to happen when Boeing acquires Embraer? The E-Jet family and MRJ are direct competitors.

LockheedBBD wrote:

JA786A wrote:

ordell wrote:

The Japanese are also especially lousy about partnering with foreign firms.

Well, Mitsubishi is partnering with Boeing for quite a long time.

What is going to happen when Boeing acquires Embraer? The E-Jet family and MRJ are direct competitors.

My guess is nothing. Boeing does not have any stake in the MRJ and to my knowledge, Embraer does not have any stake in the Boeing 767/777/787 for which MHI (MRJ's parent company) provides components to Boeing (including 787 wings). However, if Boeing (which now has skin in the regional jet game through partnership with Embraer) is able to exert any influence in the American market for renegotiation of the scope clauses, then it would be great for both the MRJ and the new line of E-Jets.

Waterbomber wrote:

MITAC could not team up on the Cseries.
Remember that their parent company is a major Boeing supplier.

Hasn't stopped them becoming a supplier to Airbus. Or Japan signing a commercial aircraft co-operation agreement with France, with Mitsubishi as one of two Japanese manufacturing co-signatories.

JA786A wrote:

ordell wrote:

The Japanese are also especially lousy about partnering with foreign firms.

Well, Mitsubishi is partnering with Boeing for quite a long time.

Mitsubishi has revealed some information, photos and footage today. Both JA26MJ and JA27MJ have been painted in a newly built painting facility in a eurowhite livery and JA25MJ underwent an "APU parking noise test" which was "successful". 26 and 27 already have the adjusted design. Meanwhile, even Mitsubishi Heavy Industries CEO Shunichi Miyanaga expects Swift Air to cancel the order.

Both JA26MJ and JA27MJ look far from completed though.

Do we know if JA25MJ has been adapted to the the adjusted design?

Flightglobal on the subject:

The Japanese manufacturer tells FlightGlobal that the target is to complete the assembly of these two jets and put them to tests towards the end of 2018. These additional aircraft will incorporate late design changes of its avionics bay that were made to comply with certification requirements.

The aircraft will focus on high-intensity radiated field and electromagnetic interference tests, functionality and reliability, passenger comfort and operational evaluation.

And it sounds that JA25MJ won't be used for flight testing all all:

With the two additional jets, Mitsubishi will use six flight test aircraft for the MRJ programme.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... pa-444414/

globetrotter94 wrote:

LockheedBBD wrote:

JA786A wrote:

Well, Mitsubishi is partnering with Boeing for quite a long time.

What is going to happen when Boeing acquires Embraer? The E-Jet family and MRJ are direct competitors.

My guess is nothing. Boeing does not have any stake in the MRJ and to my knowledge, Embraer does not have any stake in the Boeing 767/777/787 for which MHI (MRJ's parent company) provides components to Boeing (including 787 wings). However, if Boeing (which now has skin in the regional jet game through partnership with Embraer) is able to exert any influence in the American market for renegotiation of the scope clauses, then it would be great for both the MRJ and the new line of E-Jets.

I thought the answer is quite simple? It does not bode well for the MRJ program. Every MRJ sold is at least one E-jet not sold (+ future replacements). When it comes to a sales campaign, MRJ really does not have the upper hand vs. Boeing.

https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO22 ... 7A0L91000/
Back in October Mitsubishi's CFO said that they are not expecting any new order in this FY. The FY still have three months to go

Bad news.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/ ... muS3DdG2Hs

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. has received its first order cancellation for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, informed sources said Friday.

The 40-plane order for Japan’s first home-grown passenger jet had been placed by Eastern Air Lines of the United States in September 2014.

A separate U.S. airline that later took over Eastern Air, however, uses a fleet of larger aircraft and thus decided to cancel the MRJ order, the sources said.

An official of Mitsubishi Aircraft denied that a delay in development led to the cancellation.

Not much of a surprise

News:

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. sees no need for postponing again the first delivery of its planned small passenger jet, Shunichi Miyanaga, president and chief executive officer of the Japanese company, said Tuesday.

The delivery schedule of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, the first Japanese-developed small passenger jet, has already been pushed back five times.

The MRJ program is on track to begin the delivery in mid-2020, Miyanaga said at a press conference. Foreign engineers play a key role in the development, he said.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., the Mitsubishi Heavy unit that develops the jet, said late January that a U.S. airline that took over Eastern Air Lines has canceled an order for 40 units of the MRJ. It was the first cancellation of an MRJ order.

Miyanaga said that there would be no impact from the cancellation on the MRJ program.

Mitsubishi Heavy said it swung to a group net profit of ¥24,765 million in April-December last year from a loss of ¥11,240 million a year before, led by strong sales of forklifts and auto parts.
---------------

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., which is developing a small regional jet, is targeting to sell more than 1,000 of the planes in 20 years, with a quarter of the orders coming from Asia.

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet, or MRJ, has passed the mid-point of the flight test program clocking more than 1,700 hours, Yugo Fukuhara, vice president of sales at Mitsubishi Aircraft, told Haslinda Amin in a Bloomberg Television interview on Wednesday at the Singapore Airshow.

“The airplane is getting more and more mature,” he said. “We got strong interest from potential customers.” China is a potential market besides other countries in the Asia Pacific, he said.

The project, plagued by repeated delays and cost overruns, recently suffered a setback after a U.S. carrier canceled an order for 40 jets following a change in ownership. With the first delivery scheduled in mid-2020, parent Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. is seeking to compete with Brazil’s Embraer SA and Canada’s Bombardier Inc. in the market for aircraft with fewer than 100 seats.

The Japanese company is now left with 407 orders, counting a letter of intent for 20 planes as well. ANA Holdings Inc.’s All Nippon Airways will take the first delivery of the plane, which can seat as many as 92 people.

Mitsubishi Aircraft is currently testing four of the five jets it built to win certification in the U.S. It plans to deploy two more this year to accelerate the approval process, Mitsubishi Heavy Chairman Hideaki Omiya said in Davos last month.

There haven't been flight tests for more than a month now. According to twitter user "Isaac Alexander", Mitsubishi is "upgrading all 4 aircraft to support the future block of testing towards certification while executing ground testing". Apparently this won't impact the testing schedule. https://twitter.com/jetcitystar/status/973788401387409409

Aviation Week also reports that Mitsubishi has found out that they "may be able to improve on the specification because aerodynamic and engine performance is on target and time is available for tweaks". That sounds quite interesting as it could give the MRJ some advantages over the E2. http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/mrj-meeting-specification-and-could-be-made-better

In what might be the first crack to modify the current scope clauses, initial talks have begun between United Airlines and its pilots to expand regional flying with 76-seat aircraft. Although the existing pilot contract doesn't become amendable until January 2, 2019, negotiations have started early. United is seeking to increase connectivity and to boost hub capacity which was lost after the merger with Continental in 2010. To achieve that objective, according to President Scott Kirby, it will be necessary to relax the scope clause. The airline is finding itself at a disadvantage, compared to its competitors, when flying between smaller markets and its hubs.

Speaking Tuesday [March 13] at the JP Morgan transportation conference, Kirby said he is intent on “driving higher connectivity and revenue quality” by providing more capacity from cities such as Columbia Mo., and Rochester Minn. to United hubs. Such routes can only be efficiently served by 76-seat regional jets, he said.

“This is how we will grow the mainline,” Kirby said. But “we have [fewer] 76-seat aircraft than American Airlines. If we’re trying to fly a 50-seat product to Rochester, and competitors are flying 76 seaters into Minneapolis or Chicago, we will lose that battle.”

Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/20 ... ay-no-way/

The possible modification of scope at UA is a very positive development for Mitsubishi Aircraft. If scope is indeed relaxed, pressure will mount at DL and AA to do likewise.

ITB wrote:

The possible modification of scope at UA is a very positive development for Mitsubishi Aircraft. If scope is indeed relaxed, pressure will mount at DL and AA to do likewise.

The MRJ is a beautiful/elegant looking plane. I would love to see more of them flying.