Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) plans to begin initial windtunnel testing shortly of a scaled-model of a proposed new 90-seat regional jet which it is studying with Bombardier.
The Japanese manufacturer is understood to be negotiating with the country's National Aerospace Laboratory to use its windtunnel from August. The testing forms part of a two-year feasibility study into a new regional jet launched by MHI and Bombardier in late 1996.
Local sources say that two different-sized models are being considered, with the baseline BJY seating about 90 passengers and the larger BJZ around 120 passengers. The design is configured around a new five-abreast fuselage and uses the supercritical wing developed by MHI for the Bombardier Global Express business jet.
The aircraft, which is being proposed as follow-on development to the 76-seat CRJ-700, would be powered by two rear-fuselage- mounted engines. Local officials suggest that the engine could be based on a further growth version of the new CF34-8C now being developed by General Electric with Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) and Kawasaki.
Japan's international trade and industry ministry is financing the programme, using funding originally meant to support work on the stalled YS-X project by the Japan Aircraft Development consortium. Some ´380 million ($3.27 million) has been allocated to research into a new small airliner for 1997.
Bombardier's main contribution to the study is thought to be technical support, rather than providing any direct financing. The Canadian company is also understood to have sought to involve Boeing in the programme.
Any such co-operation, however, may be complicated by Boeing's planned takeover of McDonnell Douglas and continuing development of the similar-sized MD-95 twinjet. Bombardier has not commented on the developments.
Source: Flight International
