At long last: Japan builds new planes of its own

[Tsuru]

Thanks. Nice update...



You wouldn't give it STOL capabilities?

Dirt strip yes, but STOL? Hardly.

It's got a shorter takeoff roll than a civilian airliner with comparable capabilities but it's not a mountain goat. (See what I did there?)

[IkemenTommy]

After watching that video above, the XC-2's landing gear appears not retractable.

[Tsuru]

After watching that video above, the XC-2's landing gear appears not retractable.

They often don't retract landing gear on a new design's first flight. You will notice the same with the flaps/slats.

[Doctor Stop]

Wake me up when it has thrust vectoring.

[Coligny]

Dirt strip yes, but STOL? Hardly.

It's got a shorter takeoff roll than a civilian airliner with comparable capabilities but it's not a mountain goat. (See what I did there?)

Gave Greiji a boner ?

[Greji]

Gave Greiji a boner ?

No, but it did have me panting pretty hard.....

[Tsuru]

MRJ makes first sale outside of Japan

US regional operator Trans States Holdings has firmed up its letter of intent for up to 100 Mitsubishi MRJ jets.

The carrier has signed a firm deal for 50 MRJs plus 50 options.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2014.

That puts the counter at 65 orders + 60 options. The Canadian C-series due to enter service one year prior in 2013, has so far managed to rack up 90 orders and 90 options.

[Mike Oxlong]

Japan rolls out 'long-held dream' with first commercial jet in 50 years

To the sound of drums and a children's choir, Mitsubishi Aircraft on Saturday rolled out Japan's first commercial jet in half a century, amid doubts it can attain an ambition to sell more than 2,000 aircraft in a competitive market segment.

Developed by a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that includes Toyota Corp as a shareholder, the $42-million regional jet, with just under 100 seats, is Japan's second bid to break into the commercial aircraft market.

"This has been a long-held dream of ours, and one that all of Japan has waited for," Hideaki Omiya, chairman of Mitsubishi Heavy, said at a factory in Nagoya in central Japan, which was also the site of the roll-out, 75 years ago, of the prototype of the World War Two-era Zero fighter plane.

The ceremony, attended by about 500 people, kicks off a sprint to complete flight tests before the first delivery of the aircraft in June 2017 to ANA Holdings Inc.

That target is three years later than initially planned...

[Samurai_Jerk]

Japan's first commercial jet in 50 years makes maiden flight

Japan's first commercial jet in half a century made its maiden flight on Wednesday, in a breakthrough for the country's long-held ambition to establish an aircraft industry that can compete with some of the major players in global aviation.

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) took off on a one-hour return flight from Nagoya Airport to test Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp's ability to bring the 100-seat class plane into service after three years of delays.

The unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which built the World War Two-era Zero fighter, is hoping the $47-million regional jet will help it oust Canada's Bombardier Inc as the world's second-biggest maker of smaller passenger jets behind Brazil's Embraer SA.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Japan unveils first stealth fighter jet

Japan on Thursday unveiled its first stealth fighter jet, officials said, with the maiden test flight planned for next month.

The defence ministry's acquisition agency showed off the domestically developed, radar-dodging X-2 fighter at a regional airport near the central city of Komaki.

Its first flight is scheduled in mid-February before delivery to the defence ministry by the end of March next year, the acquisition agency said.

[Russell]

Japan unveils first stealth fighter jet

Japan on Thursday unveiled its first stealth fighter jet, officials said, with the maiden test flight planned for next month.

The defence ministry's acquisition agency showed off the domestically developed, radar-dodging X-2 fighter at a regional airport near the central city of Komaki.

Its first flight is scheduled in mid-February before delivery to the defence ministry by the end of March next year, the acquisition agency said.

Japan has reportedly spent about 39.4 billion yen ($332 million) to develop the aircraft.

That sounds like low development costs.

[Takechanpoo]

Britain and Japan will look at jointly developing a fighter, probably for entry into service in the 2030s. The surprising move is the latest bringing the two countries closer in defense technology. Even if an Anglo-Japanese fighter does not emerge in the end, BAE Systems is likely to be interested in assisting Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in an indigenous combat aircraft program.

http://thediplomat.com/2017/03/japan-an ... ghter-jet/
http://aviationweek.com/defense/japan-u ... artnership

[Tsuru]

No shortage of knowledge or ideas here... the Mitsubishi X-2 shinshin, BAe Taranis and Replica prototypes have been in development for years. I'm sure they will come up with something interesting... eventually

https://theaviationist.com/2014/02/25/m ... e-replica/

Meanwhile the MRJ has been delayed... again. And nine executives have "retired" over it.

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news ... delay.html

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ig-435732/

[Coligny]

So how much for MitsuMotorsCorp and Mitsu aircraft ? Can Carlos Goshn have a bundle discount?

Renault have not made aircrafts in years, might be time to go back in the field...

[Tsuru]

The airplane is done, but apparently it needed (and still needs) several fairly significant modifications in order to be approved for flights with passengers. Flight testing of the first four prototypes is carrying on in the US.

Good looking aircraft, too:

https://twitter.com/jetcitystar/status/ ... 72/photo/1

[Coligny]

Seeing the size of the doors it seems to be really thin/small... make me worry for cabin space...

[Russell]

A long time ago, when Fokker was about to go out of business, there was talk of a Japanese company interested in buying it, but they chose to develop themselves.

In hindsight, the Fokker route may have been cheaper.

Then again, that would have left them with a company full of obnoxious Dutchmen...

[Coligny]

Eh eh eh...

Fukker...

[Coligny]

Wait....

IMG_7764.JPG

Fkuk you sooo much Russel....

[Russell]

Wait....

IMG_7764.JPG

Fkuk you sooo much Russel....

At the positive side, Fokker developed a way to shoot a machine gun through a propeller...

[Coligny]

Wait....

IMG_7764.JPG

Fkuk you sooo much Russel....

At the positive side, Fokker developed a way to shoot a machine gun through a propeller...

Ehm...

I think Raymond Saulnier was French...

[Russell]

Wait....

IMG_7764.JPG

Fkuk you sooo much Russel....

At the positive side, Fokker developed a way to shoot a machine gun through a propeller...

Ehm...

I think Raymond Saulnier was French...

Yes, but he didn't figure out how to do it by an interrupter gear, even though he may have been the first with that idea. Instead, he just deflected bullets from the propellers by iron plates. Fokker's interrupter, on the other hand, worked perfectly.

[Tsuru]

DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM

Anyway, Fokker made lots of interesting stuff, apart from being the first to glue metal structures rather than riveting them together on the F27 they were also the first to figure out how to transfer the exact handling characteristics of a real aircraft to a simulator, tech I'm proud to say I still work with everyday. It wasn't through the fault of any of their products that they went under, that's for sure. Rather I figure it had something to do with getting paid for your completed airplanes in (cheap at the time) dollars and having to pay your suppliers and labour in local currency. Fokker shared its fate with German Dornier and the commercial aircraft wing of Saab which went under within the same decade.

[Tsuru]

Coming back to Japanese craftsmanship and potential cooperation with the British, the Kawasaki P-1 naval patrol aircraft mentioned in my OP from nearly ten years ago was actually a contender for the British navy recently. Since the Nimrod was grounded and the improved MRA4 version was thrown in a corner in a typically British fit of managerial incompetence they had to rely on the French and their fleet of Breguet Atlantiques to provide cover for their boomer subs coming in- and going out of port. Unfortunately in the end the Brits bought American and got the Boeing P-8 (737 derivative) instead.

That's not to say that when they were in the race to win the contract they didn't go all out to get it, they sent not one but two P-1s to the RIAT in 2015 and flew some excellent displays to impress the crowds. A first ever for any Japanese aircraft to do so, I might add. And happily I was there myself to see it up close Homebrew fly-by-wire, engines, you name it. An impressive achievement.

The C-2 transport, eeehh that's a different story. After getting in legal trouble with the Americans for the export licences of the GE CF-6 engines used on the aircraft, it ended up needing extensive redesign of the tail and rear cargo doors a few years ago due to fatigue cracking even a failure during testing. In the end it finally entered service with JASDF mid 2016 and that's about the full extent of what I have heard about it.

[Coligny]

Ye ye
Ye Ye Ye ye

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IMG_7787.JPG

Wait...

Ach... German... they zee uboot everywhare...

Never mind...