JA23MJ and JA24MJ have resumed test flights, and 24 is in RFD now (why?). https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja23mj/#10d195f9 https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja24mj/#10cee180

The flight testing program appears to be gaining momentum. According to the MRJ: Progress and Developments webpage (link below), more than 1,700 flight test hours have been accumulated as of February 8, 2018. As that was nearly two months ago, the program has most certainly added significant hours to the total, even though the test fleet was not flying for a month due to software and other upgrades to the aircraft.

http://progress.flythemrj.com/

Beautiful, high quality photos of the MRJ can be found on the above page, as well as informative updates to the program. It's well worth a look. In an earlier post, it was asked why Flight Test Aircraft 4 (FTA-4; JA24MJ) had been re-positioned in January to Flagstaff, Arizona. The answer: high altitude testing (per a Progress page posting).

For the past week, Flight Test Aircraft 4 has been positioned at Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) in Illinois. Yesterday, it was flown to Duluth International Airport (DLH) in Minnesota, and then back to RFD. FTA-4 has been doing a lot of flying recently, rapidly accumulating test hours. Below is the FlightRadar data page for JA24MJ as of March 29th.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja24mj

The flight test programme has reached nearly 1,900 hours and Mitsubishi is working on bringing the MRJ to this year's Farnborough Airshow for static display and flight demonstrations. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/mrj-eyes-farnborough-flying-display-appearance-447834/

http://diamond.jp/articles/-/165732
Saw a report saying it's widely recognized within Mitsubishi that for the project to turn black in a quicker time it would be necessary to develop a 100+ seats variant. And then the quickest way to participate in the market would be to joint with Boeing. But if the deal between Embraer cooperate with Boeing on E-Jet is to be established then it would be unlikely for Boeing to joint with MRJ on its future development and unlikely for such a stretch to be developed.

c933103 wrote:

http://diamond.jp/articles/-/165732
Saw a report saying it's widely recognized within Mitsubishi that for the project to turn black in a quicker time it would be necessary to develop a 100+ seats variant. And then the quickest way to participate in the market would be to joint with Boeing. But if the deal between Embraer cooperate with Boeing on E-Jet is to be established then it would be unlikely for Boeing to joint with MRJ on its future development and unlikely for such a stretch to be developed.

This is what Boeing is looking for with Embraer: ahead of time, on budget, better than target on specifications.

Source: http://aviationweek.com/commercial-avia ... 47f305203d

Excerpts:

"The flight-test campaign, which is concluding several months ahead of the company’s original, conservative mid-2018 completion target, has confirmed improvements in fuel burn, range, emissions and noise that exceed the program’s baseline targets. Fuel burn is reported as 17.3% lower than for the first-generation E190, compared to the 16% improvement predicted at the start of development."

"Rodrigo Silva e Souza, Embraer Commercial Aviation’s vice president of marketing, said the relatively trouble-free E190-E2 development—which is ahead of schedule, on budget and on weight target—can be attributed largely to the high cadence of new aircraft testing and certification efforts at Embraer, including those for the improved E175, the other E2 models, the Legacy and Phenom business aircraft, and the KC-390 tanker/transport. “I don’t remember any other program of this magnitude which achieved all these goals,” he observed."

EMBSPBR wrote:

c933103 wrote:

http://diamond.jp/articles/-/165732
Saw a report saying it's widely recognized within Mitsubishi that for the project to turn black in a quicker time it would be necessary to develop a 100+ seats variant. And then the quickest way to participate in the market would be to joint with Boeing. But if the deal between Embraer cooperate with Boeing on E-Jet is to be established then it would be unlikely for Boeing to joint with MRJ on its future development and unlikely for such a stretch to be developed.

This is what Boeing is looking for with Embraer: ahead of time, on budget, better than target on specifications.

Source: http://aviationweek.com/commercial-avia ... 47f305203d

Excerpts:

"The flight-test campaign, which is concluding several months ahead of the company’s original, conservative mid-2018 completion target, has confirmed improvements in fuel burn, range, emissions and noise that exceed the program’s baseline targets. Fuel burn is reported as 17.3% lower than for the first-generation E190, compared to the 16% improvement predicted at the start of development."

"Rodrigo Silva e Souza, Embraer Commercial Aviation’s vice president of marketing, said the relatively trouble-free E190-E2 development—which is ahead of schedule, on budget and on weight target—can be attributed largely to the high cadence of new aircraft testing and certification efforts at Embraer, including those for the improved E175, the other E2 models, the Legacy and Phenom business aircraft, and the KC-390 tanker/transport. “I don’t remember any other program of this magnitude which achieved all these goals,” he observed."

The Japanese article mentioned that the MRJ design, being newer than E-Jet's design, should be more appealing to Boeing, however there are really no place for a "fantasy aircraft" that still haven't receive type certification yet to be on the negotiation table. It does not seems like they expect MRJ development program to become an alternative to Embraer as a Boeing cooperation partner as of current date, but that if the deal does not work out for one reason or another then MRJ could have a chance in the future.

http://aviationweek.com/commercial-avia ... vised-plan

As a key indicator of renewed confidence in its recently restructured regional jet program, Mitsubishi Aircraft has approved the go-ahead of the MRJ70, the smaller sibling of the still-in-development MRJ90 regional jet.

Although the baseline 76-seat MRJ variant has always been part of Mitsubishi’s family plan, the formal decision to launch the running mate’s development reflects increased optimism within the company’s leadership that the long-delayed overall program is finally on track to meet a more realistic schedule. However, with deliveries of the initial 88-seat version pushed back to 2020 following a fifth delay announced almost 16 months ago, the move also indicates a growing sense of urgency to get both models into commercial service by the end of 2021.

From the article it seems that they are targeting the MRJ-70 specifically at the US market.

The MRJ-70 will be the only next gen regional jet that will fit within the rules of the U.S. "scope clause". So it will compete with the current generation E175-E1 and the CRJ-900. But with less seats, 69 instead of the maximum allowed 75, so the advantage of the new engine is only limited.
Mitsubishi hopes that the large American orders (Trans State Holdings and SkyWest Airlines) will be converted from the MRJ-90 to the MRJ-70, so they will have a solid base in this market. In the meantime they are working at adding more seats to the MRJ-70 to make it more competitive.

Two days ago, May 22nd, an in-depth analysis of the MRJ program was posted on FlightGlobal. The informative article looked at the current state of the program, scrutinized the marketing challenges faced by Mitsubishi in the U.S. market due to the scope, and provided details about the formal decision by Mitsubishi to move forward with the development of the program's smaller variant, the MRJ70.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... nd-448798/

Of particular interest, and newsworthy, was this tidbit:

In a future regional market without scope clause relief, the MRJ70 is likely compete with two 76-seat products with a two-class layout: the original version of the E175 and the Bombardier CRJ900. With newer engines and other technology advances, Mitsubishi’s MRJ70 should be more fuel efficient in absolute terms, but it may have fewer seats, thus potentially eroding any advantage on the cost per available seat mile compared to the Embraer and Bombardier alternatives.

Aware of that competitive problem, Bellamy is already working on a solution. An engineering team within Mitsubishi is analysing options for increasing the number of seats within the MRJ70, without changing the exterior dimensions or sacrificing performance.

This is a meaningful development. If the MRJ70 cabin can be expanded in some way to allow an extra row of seats it would bring the aircraft's seating capacity very close to the scope maximum of 76 seats. For instance, an expansion from the current 9J + 60Y cabin to a 9J +64Y configuration would bring the seat count up to 73. Though that seat number still falls short of 76, it may be good enough, given the MRJ's aerodynamic, noise, and fuel consumption advantages over its competitors. In all likelihood, to increase the MRJ70's cabin size, engineers will be looking to shrink the aft cargo compartment and modestly enlarge the auxiliary belly bay.

Another interesting point brought out was this:

Meanwhile, the last stages of final assembly will soon begin on Aircraft 10, which will be the first MRJ90 to be built with the new avionics and wiring design. The new wiring bundles supplied by Latecoere Interconnection Systems had arrived on the receiving dock at the Nagoya factory by mid-May, Bellamy says. Aircraft 10 will be used to validate certification test points related to wiring and avionics systems, including high intensity radiated field testing, environmental control systems and human factors. In the final stages of certification, Aircraft 10 will be joined with a completed Aircraft 7, which will be devoted to functional and reliability testing.

While no information is given how long Aircraft 10 will be in final assembly, it seems apparent both Aircraft 7, which has been completed, and Aircraft 10 will be ready to join the test fleet stationed at Moses Lake in the not too distant future.

ITB wrote:

Though that seat number still falls short of 76, it may be good enough, given the MRJ's aerodynamic, noise, and fuel consumption advantages over its competitors.

Which advantages over its competitors ???
Numbers ???

I like numbers.
Launched in 2008.
Five times EIS delayed.
Ten prototypes.
Two major redesigners.
3.000 hours flying testing hours.
US$ 3.2 billion program cost.

EMBSPBR wrote:

ITB wrote:

Though that seat number still falls short of 76, it may be good enough, given the MRJ's aerodynamic, noise, and fuel consumption advantages over its competitors.

Which advantages over its competitors ???
Numbers ???

I like numbers.
Launched in 2008.
Five times EIS delayed.
Ten prototypes.
Two major redesigners.
3.000 hours flying testing hours.
US$ 3.2 billion program cost.

Did you read the article or at least the full reply of the post above you? It will be a new aircraft with GTF engines that fit inside the scope clause unlike other competitors that are either of older generation or would not fit int the current scope clause

c933103 wrote:

EMBSPBR wrote:

ITB wrote:

Though that seat number still falls short of 76, it may be good enough, given the MRJ's aerodynamic, noise, and fuel consumption advantages over its competitors.

Which advantages over its competitors ???
Numbers ???

I like numbers.
Launched in 2008.
Five times EIS delayed.
Ten prototypes.
Two major redesigners.
3.000 hours flying testing hours.
US$ 3.2 billion program cost.

Did you read the article or at least the full reply of the post above you? It will be a new aircraft with GTF engines that fit inside the scope clause unlike other competitors that are either of older generation or would not fit int the current scope clause

You can only compare oranges to oranges, apples to apples ...

Already citied above ....

Source: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... nd-448798/

"In a future regional market without scope clause relief, the MRJ70 is likely compete with two 76-seat products with a two-class layout: the original version of the E175 and the Bombardier CRJ900. With newer engines and other technology advances, Mitsubishi’s MRJ70 should be more fuel efficient in absolute terms, but it may have fewer seats, thus potentially eroding any advantage on the cost per available seat mile compared to the Embraer and Bombardier alternatives."

EMBSPBR wrote:

ITB wrote:

Though that seat number still falls short of 76, it may be good enough, given the MRJ's aerodynamic, noise, and fuel consumption advantages over its competitors.

Which advantages over its competitors ???
Numbers ???

OK. Here's some numbers.

Mitsubishi Aircraft is projecting that the cost to operate the MRJ70 will be 20% lower than other aircraft in its class. This anticipated efficiency is not only advanced by the aircraft's new cutting-edge engines, the PurePower Geared Turbofan PW1200G, but also advanced aerodynamics and a high aspect ratio wing. The MRJ also is designed and engineered to optimize aircraft maintenance, with high commonality among the MRJ family.

To be sure, the MRJ70's main competitors—the CRJ-900 and EMB-175—are both highly respected aircraft that have enjoyed remarkable success in the marketplace. With fuel costs, however, now playing such a pivotal role in determining the efficiency of commercial aircraft, it is imperative state-of-the-art engines be utilized with newly manufactured aircraft. Nothing less is acceptable. Embraer thinks so. That's why they moved forward with the E-2 program, which is utilizing, like the MRJ program, Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan.

But there's one major issue impeding the introduction of the E2-175 into the United States' marketplace. Like the MRJ90, it's too heavy and probably will not meet the current scope provision of 39,000 kg for U.S. regional airlines. Aside from a reconfigured Sukhoi Superjet 100, there is only one other new commercial jet currently in the manufacturing pipeline that will not broach the current scope clause in the U.S.: the MRJ70. One. Now that's a number and a fact.

Sources:
http://www.utc.com/News/PW/Pages/Pratt- ... et-Ac.aspx

http://www.flythemrj.com/efficiency/

EMBSPBR wrote:

c933103 wrote:

EMBSPBR wrote:

Which advantages over its competitors ???
Numbers ???

I like numbers.
Launched in 2008.
Five times EIS delayed.
Ten prototypes.
Two major redesigners.
3.000 hours flying testing hours.
US$ 3.2 billion program cost.

Did you read the article or at least the full reply of the post above you? It will be a new aircraft with GTF engines that fit inside the scope clause unlike other competitors that are either of older generation or would not fit int the current scope clause

You can only compare oranges to oranges, apples to apples ...

Already citied above ....

Source: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... nd-448798/

"In a future regional market without scope clause relief, the MRJ70 is likely compete with two 76-seat products with a two-class layout: the original version of the E175 and the Bombardier CRJ900. With newer engines and other technology advances, Mitsubishi’s MRJ70 should be more fuel efficient in absolute terms, but it may have fewer seats, thus potentially eroding any advantage on the cost per available seat mile compared to the Embraer and Bombardier alternatives."

I find it difficult to conceive that revenue from the last two row of seats are going to worth more than something like twenty percent of fuel burn saving in most cases

The MRJ-70 will be the only next gen regional jet that will fit within the rules of the U.S. "scope clause".

Actually, Sukhoi has also launched the SSJ75, which should be very much compliant, and offer a few more seats than MRJ. Though I don't give it much of a chance in the US market.

So it will compete with the current generation E175-E1 and the CRJ-900. But with less seats, 69 instead of the maximum allowed 75, so the advantage of the new engine is only limited.

Agree, and this is a problem. IMO they should scrap the MRJ70 and build a slightly stretched MRJ75. With a paper-reduced MTOW, it could work. Although range limited, it would still have more than enough range for RJ ops.

r2rho wrote:

So it will compete with the current generation E175-E1 and the CRJ-900. But with less seats, 69 instead of the maximum allowed 75, so the advantage of the new engine is only limited.

Agree, and this is a problem. IMO they should scrap the MRJ70 and build a slightly stretched MRJ75. With a paper-reduced MTOW, it could work. Although range limited, it would still have more than enough range for RJ ops.

It is difficult to believe that an "amorphous" model resulting from the MRJ90 can find a market in the USA.

It's not just your weight, but your maximum passenger capacity and range.
Generally the regional ones have three classes of service: F, Y-plus and Y.

What will actually drive the new contracts will be the cost of fuel costs.
Today we have a barrel of oil hovering around US$ 80, about twice a year ago. And the trend is high.

I believe that in the current contracts fuel costs were much more favorable than the current and medium-term
scenario ...

EMBSPBR wrote:

r2rho wrote:

So it will compete with the current generation E175-E1 and the CRJ-900. But with less seats, 69 instead of the maximum allowed 75, so the advantage of the new engine is only limited.

Agree, and this is a problem. IMO they should scrap the MRJ70 and build a slightly stretched MRJ75. With a paper-reduced MTOW, it could work. Although range limited, it would still have more than enough range for RJ ops.

It is difficult to believe that an "amorphous" model resulting from the MRJ90 can find a market in the USA.

It's not just your weight, but your maximum passenger capacity and range.
Generally the regional ones have three classes of service: F, Y-plus and Y.

What will actually drive the new contracts will be the cost of fuel costs.
Today we have a barrel of oil hovering around US$ 80, about twice a year ago. And the trend is high.

I believe that in the current contracts fuel costs were much more favorable than the current and medium-term
scenario ...

The MRJ 70 can seat up to 80 pax depending on the configuration.
You can replace 12F seats by 12Y + 6F and make it to 75 seats.
For those routes where 6F seats are sufficient, which must be most of them, one could argue that the E175E1 is too big and less efficient.
The MRJ 70 should clock in at around 22 tons OEW, just a bit heavier than the E1 despite the much heavier engines. Combined with better cargo space access, better efficiency and Japanese build quality and support, once it enters service Embraer is going to lose most of it market share in this category.

Waterbomber wrote:

You can replace 12F seats by 12Y + 6F and make it to 75 seats.

No you can´t, except you squeeze them into the plane.

Waterbomber wrote:

The MRJ 70 should clock in at around 22 tons OEW

Wrong:Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Regional_Jet
It is 34 tons / 74.957 lb.

Waterbomber wrote:

better efficiency and Japanese build quality and support

Build quality after ten years, ten prototypes, two major redesigns and foreign assistance.
And about support, except if you are talking the brand new Mitsubishi Lancer model, there is no MRJ flying around with any airline to be supported. And the EIS will be in 2020 yet. So, support is something to be proved yet ...

Waterbomber wrote:

once it enters service Embraer is going to lose most of it market share in this category.

Yes, you don´t like us ... we know ...

Even if the program is on track now, there is still a lot that Mitsubishi and its MRJ have to prove to the market ...

r2rho wrote:

The MRJ-70 will be the only next gen regional jet that will fit within the rules of the U.S. "scope clause".

Actually, Sukhoi has also launched the SSJ75, which should be very much compliant, and offer a few more seats than MRJ. Though I don't give it much of a chance in the US market.

While I could have phrased it better, it did say "Aside from a reconfigured Sukhoi Superjet 100, there is only one other new commercial jet currently in the manufacturing pipeline ..." It would have been more clear if I had said a "modified, smaller version" of the SSJ100, instead of using the word "reconfigured." I do agree, however, that the SSJ75 is unlikely to find success in the U.S. market.

r2rho wrote:

So it will compete with the current generation E175-E1 and the CRJ-900. But with less seats, 69 instead of the maximum allowed 75, so the advantage of the new engine is only limited.

Agree, and this is a problem. IMO they should scrap the MRJ70 and build a slightly stretched MRJ75. With a paper-reduced MTOW, it could work. Although range limited, it would still have more than enough range for RJ ops.

Initially, I, too, thought Mitsubishi should do a modest stretch of the MRJ70. But with the aircraft pushing right up against the scope weight clause as it is, any stretch might make the MRJ70 too heavy, engendering a scope breach. Mitsubishi and its engineers appear to well aware of this, and the current plan is to, as I noted above in a previous post, increase the number of seats within the MRJ70 without changing the size of the aircraft. Here's the relevant quote again:

In a future regional market without scope clause relief, the MRJ70 is likely compete with two 76-seat products with a two-class layout: the original version of the E175 and the Bombardier CRJ900. With newer engines and other technology advances, Mitsubishi’s MRJ70 should be more fuel efficient in absolute terms, but it may have fewer seats, thus potentially eroding any advantage on the cost per available seat mile compared to the Embraer and Bombardier alternatives.

Aware of that competitive problem, Bellamy is already working on a solution. An engineering team within Mitsubishi is analysing options for increasing the number of seats within the MRJ70, without changing the exterior dimensions or sacrificing performance.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... nd-448798/

What Mitsubishi is likely to do to increase the MRJ70's seat number is to reduce the size of the aft cargo compartment and, at the same time, create a small belly bay. Assuming the cargo compartment dimensions will be the same as in the MRJ90, at 644 cubic feet it may be unnecessarily large for the MRJ70. In comparison, the cargo bays of the E170 and E175 comprise 508.18 and 604.59 cu ft, respectively.

Sources: https://www.flythemrj.com/news/date/news_090909.html
http://www.team.aero/files/aviation_dat ... e_jets.pdf

By shrinking the size of the aft cargo compartment modestly, Mitsubishi should be able to fit in another row of seats in the MRJ70, making seating configurations such as 9J + 64Y or 12J +60Y possible.

the aircraft pushing right up against the scope weight clause as it is

Only the ER (85,969 lb). The LR is already beyond (88,626 lb). At 81,240 lb, the STD still has some margin. Admittedly, the 820nm range of the STD is not great and might make it unattractive in its target US market...

Assuming the cargo compartment dimensions will be the same as in the MRJ90, at 644 cubic feet it may be unnecessarily large for the MRJ70.

This is interesting and yes, the key missing info is knowing how large the cargo hold on the MRJ70 is. If it is as you say, there is indeed some margin.
A rather generous approach by Mitsubishi - Airbus would've just come up with some "SpaceFlex v4" and squeezed the last handful rows to 28" to achieve that result. Looks like Mitsubishi doesn't want to sacrifice comfort - kudos to them.

MITAC today announced that the flight test programme has reached 2,000 hours and that around 100 hours have been flown in May. They also confirmed that they'll bring 1 test frame to this year's Farnborough Airshow for flight demonstrations from July 16th to 18th. Additionally, 2 more aircraft (probably JA26MJ and JA27MJ) will be completed at the end of this year or early next year. Interestingly, President Hisakazu Mizutani said that they're not expecting new orders for the MRJ for the time being and that they rather want to focus on succeeding in the test programme. http://www.aviationwire.jp/archives/149017

According to Mitsubishi, the MRJ70's EIS is now planned for 2022. https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASL685H49L68ULFA01S.html
Also, JA23MJ visited BFI today for the first time. https://twitter.com/museumofflight/status/1006683792726085632

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news ... -ahead-mrj

After a series of delays with the MRJ program, Mitsubishi has announced progress in flight-test development including the coming addition of new test aircraft, upgrade of type certification aircraft to final configuration, and TC testing with Japanese and U.S. aviation authorities. Alex Bellamy, chief development officer and head of program management for the MRJ program, expressed confidence in the future of the MRJ. “We’ve changed the way we operate as a management system,” he said. “We’ve brought in new expertise to enhance our team. We have laser focus on delivery for our launch customer in 2020, ANA. We’ve accomplished the schedule we set out to accomplish over the last 12 months. So that focus is very important; our focus got us here today and the countdown to delivery has begun.”

Bellamy noted program milestones and achievements, including the joining of the wings for MRJ90 Aircraft 7 and Aircraft 10, both of which will join the existing team of four test aircraft next year at the MRJ’s flight test center in Moses Lake, Washington. “For aircraft number one through four, we’re going to maximize the learning out of those, and we’re about to enter an upgrade period with those aircraft to bring them up to final TC configuration,” added Bellamy. “Aircraft 7 and 10 will be introduced next year and they will be operating at high capacity to bring us through to delivery in mid-2020.”

Now more than 50 percent complete, the test program has logged more than 2,000 flight hours. The four test aircraft have undergone full envelope testing, including in hot and cold, high and low, and fast and slow environments. “All of the dimensions of the envelope from altitude to speed to environmental extremes, we’ve taken the aircraft there,” said Bellamy.

ordell wrote:

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-06-28/mitsubishi-sees-clear-skies-ahead-mrj

After a series of delays with the MRJ program, Mitsubishi has announced progress in flight-test development including the coming addition of new test aircraft, upgrade of type certification aircraft to final configuration, and TC testing with Japanese and U.S. aviation authorities. Alex Bellamy, chief development officer and head of program management for the MRJ program, expressed confidence in the future of the MRJ. “We’ve changed the way we operate as a management system,” he said. “We’ve brought in new expertise to enhance our team. We have laser focus on delivery for our launch customer in 2020, ANA. We’ve accomplished the schedule we set out to accomplish over the last 12 months. So that focus is very important; our focus got us here today and the countdown to delivery has begun.”

Bellamy noted program milestones and achievements, including the joining of the wings for MRJ90 Aircraft 7 and Aircraft 10, both of which will join the existing team of four test aircraft next year at the MRJ’s flight test center in Moses Lake, Washington. “For aircraft number one through four, we’re going to maximize the learning out of those, and we’re about to enter an upgrade period with those aircraft to bring them up to final TC configuration,” added Bellamy. “Aircraft 7 and 10 will be introduced next year and they will be operating at high capacity to bring us through to delivery in mid-2020.”

Now more than 50 percent complete, the test program has logged more than 2,000 flight hours. The four test aircraft have undergone full envelope testing, including in hot and cold, high and low, and fast and slow environments. “All of the dimensions of the envelope from altitude to speed to environmental extremes, we’ve taken the aircraft there,” said Bellamy.

Good news. It sounds like definite progress and a decent recovery

Lightsaber

And MRJ70 EIS will be late 2021/early 2022

JA23MJ is back in Moses Lake after performing 3 demonstration flights in Farnborough. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja23mj/#1d39add4 She got new "MRJ Discover Choice" titles on her underbelly, which apparently also is the project's new corporate slogan amid recent consolidation processes in the industry. In Paris next year, Mitsubishi plans to present an aircraft which is equipped with a proper passenger cabin. https://www.aviationwire.jp/archives/152084

More about the "Discover Choice" campaign: http://progress.flythemrj.com/mrj-regional-aviation-choice-hisakazu-mizutani-mitsubishi-aircraft

It looks like MHIAEL has a deal with P&W to do final assembly of PW1200G's in Japan?

https://www.mhi-aeroeng.co.jp/en/products/

The first Japan-made PW1200G has been completed.

Production Milestone for Pratt & Whitney GTF™ PW1200G Engine at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines in Japan
2018-12-13

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Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines Ltd. (MHIAEL) recently achieved a significant production milestone on the Pratt & Whitney GTF PW1200G engine, powering the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), Japan's first jet aircraft developed by Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (Mitsubishi Aircraft). The first PW1200G engine assembly was completed at MHIAEL facility in Komaki, Japan, and successfully passed Pratt & Whitney's production acceptance test. The first engine produced at the facility is designated to be used in the MRJ flight test program. These are important accomplishments on the road to PW1200G production readiness.

"Thanks to extensive and close cooperation with Pratt & Whitney, MHIAEL is developing a facility in Komaki to perform final assembly of the PW1200G engine powering the MRJ," says Katsuyuki Shimauchi, President & CEO, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines, Ltd. "We're gearing up intensely as we prepare for production by building the capacities and expertise we need to perform this critical work. Our facility is in the process of obtaining approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to produce these engines."

The MHIAEL facility, located in Komaki, Japan, will be one of two production assembly and test sites for the PW1200G engine. The engine is also assembled and tested at Pratt & Whitney's Mirabel Aerospace Center in Canada. MHIAEL was established in 2014.

"The assembly and test of the first PW1200G engine at MHIAEL in Komaki is a key milestone for the PW1200G program," said Graham Webb, Vice President, Pratt & Whitney commercial engine programs. "We greatly appreciate our long-standing partnership and high level of collaboration with the MHI Group. Congratulations to the MHIAEL and Pratt & Whitney teams that ensured this achievement was successfully accomplished."

https://www.mhi.com/news/story/181213.html

Certification test flights by the Japanese Ministry of Transport have started yesterday with JA24MJ. They were originally supposed to begin in January but have been delayed due to "bad weather and a delay in preparations". The test flights are expected to take around a year and EIS is still planned for summer 2020. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/04/business/mitsubishi-jet-starts-test-flights-u-s-gain-safety-certification/#.XH1W0dFCc1I

JA26MJ and JA27MJ will be transferred to Moses Lake later this year, so we should see test flights in Nagoya soon. However, they are not equipped with engines yet according to a twitter user who visited the MRJ Museum. https://twitter.com/Gifu119V3/status/1099627634827264000

NAGOYA - Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said Monday its small regional plane, Japan’s first homegrown commercial passenger jet, has started test flights in the United States.

The tests, the final regulatory challenge ahead of the company’s targeted delivery of the first Mitsubishi Regional Jet in mid-2020, are expected to take about a year. They involve pilots from the Japanese transport ministry.

Mitsubishi has delayed delivery of the MRJ five times since 2013 due to design modifications.

On Sunday, engine functions of the narrow-body, twin-engine jetliner were confirmed following a flight from the base of Mitsubishi Aircraft, a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., in Washington state, company officials said.

The test flights were originally scheduled to start in late January but were put off due to bad weather and a delay in preparations.

Two new MRJ models currently under production at the company’s base in Toyoyama, Aichi Prefecture, will also be tested in the United States later this year, the officials said.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/ ... H26hLh7mHs

A flightglobal article:
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ts-456414/

This has taken so long to get to this point. Has it won any recent sales campaigns?

I would imagine everyone is taking a wait and see approach now.

ordell wrote:

I would imagine everyone is taking a wait and see approach now.

I agree. Weight and fuel burn will be key. Sadly, a few might wait for EIS reliability.

Lightsaber

Mitsubishi has started its regional certification flights with its MRJ90. The company confirmed that the tests are providing ‘good results’. But declined to elaborate on any specifics.

Representatives from Mitsubishi stated: “We have begun certification flight tests, in line with our plans to begin early this year.” Jeff Dronen, from the company said: “Certification flight testing will be ongoing, and we will continue to coordinate with the aviation authorities.”

The testing is taking place at Mitsubishi’s facility at Moses Lake, US. The company is believed to have at least four MRJ90 aircraft at the site. FlightAware data indicates that an aircraft, registration number JA24MJ, made two flights on 3 March and 4 this year.

The initial deliveries for the launch customer All Nippon are now expected in 2020, The MRJ has been in development since 2008 and was scheduled for delivery in 2013.

JA23MJ came to OKC last Saturday and did a few landings then flew back to AMA.

To follow the flight testing of the MRJ, I've found FlightRadar24 to be useful. I just plug in the MRJ's registration numbers — JA21MJ, JA22MJ, JA23MJ, and JA24MJ — one after the other under Search in Data/History to bring up the most recent flights.

For those interested, here's the link that displays the most recent flights of JA23MJ:

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/ja23mj

Here is JA23MJ climbing out of OKC
https://flic.kr/p/2fcQT4X

Some positive news: AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes says that he wants to buy 20 MRJs because "there are airports wich can't handle A320s". He has asked Mitsubishi for a proposal in November last year and is now waiting for an answer: https://www.traicy.com/20190322-airasia_mrj

Construction of JA26MJ, the design change test machine, is planned to be completed in June. The aircraft was seen yesterday out of the hangar in Nagoya, and it looks like there is still some work to do.

Does anyone know which of the seven FT frames will be redelivered for service?

r2rho wrote:

Quoting KarelXWB (Reply 6):Mitsubishi Aircraft has announced a two-week delay to the MRJ regional jet's first flight, citing issues with the aircraft’s steering pedal.
A bit ackward / embarassing, that only shortly after reaffirming the first flight window, which would imply 100% confidence, this happens. But it's still better to communicate transparently than to stick to unachievable dates. Looking forward to first flight.

was the problem with the pedal steering ? Or? Certifying it? they might have steered it with a tiller wheel and maybe didn't try the rudder pedal steering,

JA786A wrote:

Construction of JA26MJ, the design change test machine, is planned to be completed in June. The aircraft was seen yesterday out of the hangar in Nagoya, and it looks like there is still some work to do.

The Japanese are learning the system integration skills they'll need to build larger airplanes eventually. I don't think for ONE minute this will be the ONLY airliner they'll ever build.. But? You don't learn system integration and certification by watching someone ELSE do it!! They will NOT forget these hard knocks!!

Nikkei reports that the MRJ70 will be rebranded into "Space Jet". "Development subsidiary Mitsubishi Aircraft plans to offer an outline of the reworked project, the Space Jet, in June. This will entail a drastic redesign to create the smaller 70-seat-class model, with work to get underway in earnest as early as this year.

Mitsubishi Aircraft also plans to switch to American suppliers for certain parts to cut costs, aiming to make price a selling point along with fuel efficiency, and is considering production in the U.S. as well. Along with the renaming, this marks a significant change in direction for what had been envisioned as Japan's first homegrown commercial jet."

Production in the U.S. would indeed mean a massive change in the whole MRJ program...

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Mitsubishi-to-turn-MRJ-into-cheaper-smaller-Space-Jet

First ever visit by an MRJ to the Netherlands occurred yesterday, visiting Maastricht Aachen Airport:

Source: https://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/categorie/18/technologie/mitsubishi-regional-jet-voor-het-eerst-in-nederland

Perhaps not the right place for this question but what is the purpose of so much space after the rear door?

seansasLCY wrote:

Perhaps not the right place for this question but what is the purpose of so much space after the rear door?

To eliminate the underfloor luggage compartment and putting it behind the cabin, allowing a narrower fuselage cross-section and improved aerodynamic performance.

MrGtheSheepA346 wrote:

First ever visit by an MRJ to the Netherlands occurred yesterday, visiting Maastricht Aachen Airport:

Source: https://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/categorie/18/technologie/mitsubishi-regional-jet-voor-het-eerst-in-nederland

What is the purpose of this visit? A mini European tour ahead of PAS?

As said in the other thread, it's great to talk about a US production line, new suppliers, etc... but they need to stop improving and start delivering.
The market is now, they are already way late and losing potential sales right and left.

Waterbomber2 wrote:

What is the purpose of this visit? A mini European tour ahead of PAS?

It is going to be repainted at Maastricht for the PAS.

petertenthije wrote:

Waterbomber2 wrote:

What is the purpose of this visit? A mini European tour ahead of PAS?

It is going to be repainted at Maastricht for the PAS.

Just because or is it getting a new livery? Perhaps of a new customer?

mxaxai wrote:

petertenthije wrote:

Waterbomber2 wrote:

What is the purpose of this visit? A mini European tour ahead of PAS?

It is going to be repainted at Maastricht for the PAS.

Just because or is it getting a new livery? Perhaps of a new customer?

Probably to erase the "MRJ" and put a big "Space Jet" on it.

Waterbomber2 wrote:

As said in the other thread, it's great to talk about a US production line, new suppliers, etc... but they [Mitsubishi] need to stop improving and start delivering.
The market is now, they are already way late and losing potential sales right and left.

The MRJ90 is currently in the certification process. It is anticipated the process will wrap up about a year from now, with delivery of the first frame to ANA to follow soon afterward. Due to the redesign of the MRJ's wiring layout, the program and EIS of the MRJ90 was delayed approximately two years. This expensive and time consuming undertaking was absolutely necessary as the aircraft would not have met U.S. and worldwide certification standards.

As for the smaller variant, the MRJ70, a design "refresh" is currently underway. The MRJ70 was initially designed to seat 69 in a two-class configuration (6J + 60Y) or 76 in one class (76Y). Today, however, the regional airlines in the United States desire an aircraft that seats 76 passengers in a three-class configuration. Due to the Scope Clause, a contractual provision between pilots and the big three legacy airlines in the United States — AA, UA, and DL — the weight, the number of seats, and the number of affiliated regional aircraft is contractually constrained. When Mitsubishi embarked on the MRJ program in 2008 expectation was that scope standards would be relaxed in upcoming years. That did not happen. Pilots and management continue to be at loggerheads over scope, and no changes seem to be forthcoming anytime soon.

As a result, MITAC decided to refresh the design of the MRJ70 is bring the aircraft more in alignment with current maximum Scope Clause standards. After all, this is what the regionals and legacies truly desire. To have moved ahead and produced the MRJ70 as originally envisioned may have been highly questionable and significantly increased business risk. Bear in mind that, currently, all MRJ orders are for the larger variant, the MRJ90. Because of continuing constrained scope standards, it is now expected the U.S. regional airlines with MRJ orders will shift to the redesigned smaller variant.

Although the delays to the MRJ program have been vexing, Leeham News and Analysis sees a silver lining to the protracted development of the aircraft:

Although hardly intended, the seven years of delays and painful development of the MRJ actually have worked to Mitsubishi’s benefit. Had the plane been on time with an entry into service in 2013, the market forces it would have faced then would have been far different than they will be when the MRJ90 enters service next year. A convergence of events now means MITAC is poised to be part of a duopoly, not player No. 3.

EIS of the smaller variant is now estimated to be 2022, or about one year later than initially planned. It appears the overriding reasoning to refresh the MRJ70 is to develop an aircraft the U.S. market truly wants rather than to produce something that may or may not be well received. Or, to put it another way, better safe than sorry.

Link: Leeham report https://leehamnews.com/2019/05/13/ponti ... rj-player/

JA23MJ has been repainted into the new "SpaceJet" livery.

MITAC also opened their new website today: https://www.mitsubishiaircraft.com/