Mitsubishi Aircraft has opened an engineering centre in Seattle, as it prepares for the flight tests of its MRJ regional jet in the USA, scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2016.
At a media briefing in Seattle, the Japanese airframer says the centre will primarily produce flight test specifications as well as analysis and feedback of flight test data.
The centre will work with Aerospace Testing Engineering & Certification (AeroTec) to “accelerate the MRJ’s conformity activities and provide prompt support for flight tests in the US”, it adds. AeroTec is a Seattle-base firm that Mitsubishi has agreed to work with on flight test work for the MRJ.
Mitsubishi says it picked Seattle for the 40,000ft2 site so as to utilise the pool of experienced aircraft designers in the city. The centre will employ 150 staff, 100 of which will be engineers recruited locally, while another 50 engineers will be brought in from Japan.
A large part of the MRJ’s flight test campaign will be conducted at Grant County International airport, where Mitsubishi is building a 65,000ft2 hangar. The airport was picked for its long runways which are well suited for takeoff and landing tests.
Mitsubishi will also conduct flight test and engineering operations at three more sites in the USA. These include high-altitude flight testing at Gunnison Crested Butte Regional airport in Colorado, special runway tests at Roswell International Air Centre in New Mexico, and extreme environment tests at Mckinley Climatic Laboratory in Florida.
The MRJ90 is scheduled to take its first flight in either September or October, after four push backs, the most recent of which was announced in April. Flight tests in the USA are scheduled to start in 2Q 2016, before the delivery target of 2Q 2017.
Final assembly of its five flight test aircraft have largely been completed, four of which will be sent to the US for flight tests. Mitsubishi recently disclosed that the second of its two ground test aircraft is also in final assembly.
Mitsubishi has received firm orders for 223 MRJs, as well as options and purchase rights for a further 184 of the regional jet.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
