Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (MJET) announces that the MRJ configuration has been finalized, placing the regional jet on the path to completing critical design review and design freeze in the coming months. The new configuration incorporates a number of significant improvements that reflect design progress and promise greater value to our respected customers.
These improvements are the result of discussions with and feedback from our customers. The improved design will allow the MRJ to meet and exceed the expectations of the market. Specifically, these enhancements will boost the MRJ’s value where it matters most - in the marketplace and in airline operations. In this issue we elaborate on some of the improvements and changes that have been made.
First, the cabin has been modified to better meet customer requirements. The new configuration will offer a wider cabin with more head clearance than the competitor’s. The cabin height has been raised an additional 1.5 inches. This also translates into an additional 12% volume of space in the overhead bin, which will better serve airlines and passengers by accommodating more carry-on baggage,
including large-size roller bags.
A second addition involves improvements to the cargo compartment. We have also moved to reflect the feedback of valued customers by introducing another efficiency-boosting modification in the design of the cargo compartments. We have combined the forward and aft cargo compartments into a single aft cargo compartment. The total cargo volume remains unchanged at 644 cubic feet, but will now be located in one place, resulting in a design that makes baggage handling simpler with the added bonus of improved stacking efficiency.
In addition, with the updated design the MRJ will feature an aluminum wing box, which will make it easier to manufacture the optimal wing structure. Easier optimization means enhanced competitiveness across the MRJ family: the MRJ70, the MRJ90 and the MRJ stretch version, a 100-seat jet, which is a recently announced potential addition that we are excited to tell you about in greater detail below.
The aluminum wing box will allow for a shorter lead-time to make structural changes, and with an aluminum wing box, the wings can be optimized to match the attributes of each member of the MRJ airplane family. This will maximize the performance of all MRJ models, including the possible stretch version.
As mentioned above, to better respond to the demands of our customers, we are now considering adding a stretch version of the MRJ to the MRJ family. While the MRJ90, the 92-seat jet, and the MRJ70, the 78-seat version, have both been launched, a 100-seat version is being proposed, contingent on sufficient market demand to trigger a full-scale launch of the program. In conjunction with these changes, our production schedule will also be adjusted with the first flight to take place in the second quarter of 2012, and the first delivery to take place in the first quarter of 2014. We remain more committed than ever to our mission of revolutionizing the regional jet market through the application of mainline jet technology and mainline customer support in a way that offers unprecedented value for the environment, passengers and airlines.
We thank you for your continued attention, interest
and support.
