Mitsubishi Aircraft test pilot Captain Akira Udagawa believes the smooth handling of the MRJ regional jet makes it stand out among its peers.
"The landing of the jet is very easy, the pitch control is very easily controlled compared to the MD-80 and the Boeing 737," says the former Japan Airlines pilot, who had flown the other two types, as well as the NAMC YS-11, before joining Mitsubishi.
Udagawa says the in-development regional jet's full fly-by-wire flightdeck with the Rockwell Collins ProLine Fusion avionics systems also maximises situational awareness and minimises pilots' workload.
The system's graphical interface means navigation control is intuitive with the four 15in LCDs providing further clarity, he adds.
Mitsubishi took FTA-3 out of its flight-test schedule to put it on static display at the Paris air show. Udagawa says the team managed to cover "a couple of test points" relating to avionics on the ferry flight to Paris.
The Japanese manufacturer's four flight-test aircraft, based at its Moses Lake flight test centre, have logged 940 flight hours. Udagawa says tests are progressing well, with the jets flying three to four hours daily. The Mitsubishi flight-test team comprises 12 members.
Mitsubishi is targeting delivery of the first MRJ90 to launch customer All Nippon Airways in mid-2020, following five rounds of delays.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
