Mitsubishi SpaceJet - Wikipedia⁠↗

October 7, 2024

Highlights

Four of the five delays were caused, at least partly, by failures to document work for certification or similar failures. As a result, development cost ballooned to 350 billion yen (US$3.17 billion) implying that the project might never be able to fully recover its costs.

In October 2018, Bombardier sued Mitsubishi in Seattle, alleging that its ex-employees stole trade secrets to help for US certification.

On 24 June 2019, Bombardier and Mitsubishi announced that Mitsubishi would purchase the CRJ Programme from Bombardier for US$550 million and assume US$200 million in liabilities. With the deal, Mitsubishi will acquire the maintenance, support, refurbishment, marketing, and sales activities for the CRJ Series aircraft, including the support network locations in Montréal, Québec, and Toronto, Ontario, its service centres located in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and Tucson, Arizona, and the type certificates.

The shorter span would allow operation at Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, a popular tourist destination; the CRJ700 was the last jet in production to have the capability. The M90 in its final configuration first flew on 18 March 2020, before joining the rest of the test fleet in Moses Lake.66(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-66) Termination[edit] In May 2020, Mitsubishi halved the budget of the SpaceJet program for the year ending 31 March 2021. It confirmed its commitment to the baseline M90 version but intended to reconsider the M100 in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.67(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-67) All work on the SpaceJet outside Japan, including flight testing of the M90 at Moses Lake, was repatriated to the company’s headquarters in Nagoya.68(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-68) In October 2020, Mitsubishi announced a further budget reduction and a “temporary pause” to most SpaceJet activities other than type certification documentation while it assessed a “possible program restart”.69(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-Flight30oct2020-69)[70](/70)(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-70) However, Mitsubishi Aircraft slashed 95% of its employees in April 2021, leaving 150 employees, while the SpaceJet program budget was cut by half by 2020, from Y370 billion for FY2018, and was to be further cut to only Y20 billion ($194 million) from fiscal year 2021.71(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-71) In October 2021, the manufacturer confirmed to the Federal Aviation Administration that it did not plan to restart development and production of the SpaceJet in the foreseeable future.72(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-aero27oct2021-72)[*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:NOTRS)] On 17 April 2022, the third MRJ prototype built, formerly registered as JA23MJ, was dismantled.73(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-73) On 6 February 2023, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries terminated the Spacejet project altogether, stating the uncertainty of the regional jet market size, and announced plans to dissolve its Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation subsidiary.74(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-74)[75](/75)(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-75) The announcement was made along with Mitsubishi’s financial report, though the company said the decision would not hurt its bottom line.[citation needed*] On 8 March 2023, a second Spacejet prototype, registered as JA21MJ, was dismantled.76(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-76) Specifications[edit] Front view Side view SpaceJet specifications77(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-77) Variant M90 M100 Single class 88Y @ 31” pitch 84Y @ 31” pitch Mixed class 81 (9J@36” + 72Y@30”)78(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-MRJ2016Brochure-78) 76 (12J+12W+52Y)64(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-Leeham13June2019-64) Cargo 18.2 m³ / 644 ft³ 13.6 m³ / 481 ft³ Cabin 2.02 m / 6 ft 8 in Height × 2.76 m / 9 ft 1 in Width Length 35.8m / 117 ft 5 in78(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-MRJ2016Brochure-78) 34.5 m / 113.2 ft Wingspan 29.2 m / 95 ft 10 in 27.8 m / 91.3 ft Tail height 10.4 m / 34 ft 2 in 10.3 m / 33.9 ft MTOW 42.8 t / 94,358 lb 42.0 t / 92,594 lba(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-US-79) OEW 26,000 kg (57,320 lb)79(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-80) Fuel capacity 12,100 L / 3,200 US gal / 21,344 lbs / 9,680 kg Engines (2x) Pratt & Whitney PW1200G Fan diameter 56 in (142 cm)80(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-81) Engine thrust (2x) 78.2 kN / 17,600 lbf Rangeb(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-82) 3,770 km / 2,040 nmi 3,540 km / 1,910 nmia(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-US-79) MMo Mach 0.78 (447 kn; 829 km/h) Ceiling 11,900 m / 39,000 ft Takeoff (MTOW, SL, ISA) 1,740 m / 5,710 ft 1,760 m / 5,770 fta(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-US-79) Landing (MLW, dry) 1,480 m / 4,860 ft 1,550 m / 5,090 ft

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c US scope clause limit: 39 t / 86,000 lb MTOW, 1,500 nmi (2,800 km) range with 76 pax, 1,550 m / 5,090 ft takeoff
  2. ^ 102 kg / 225 lb per pax, ISA, no wind, LRC, 100 nmi alternate Customers[edit] Order history[edit] 3rd Prototype of SpaceJet, JA23MJ in the livery of formerly planned launch customer All Nippon Airways. In 2008, All Nippon Airways was the first customer, with an order for 15 MRJ 90s and an option for 10 more.81(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-ANA27Mar2008-83) In March 2008, and again in October 2008, Sankei Shimbun and Fuji Sankei Business I reported that the government of Japan would buy ten MRJs to serve as short-haul and small-field VIP transports, supplementing the existing Japanese Air Force One Boeing 747 aircraft.82(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-84)[83](/83)(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_SpaceJet#cite_note-85) The government reportedly was still considering this option as of July 2013, with MRJs possibly supplementing the then new [Boeing 777]

The shorter span would allow operation at Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, a popular tourist destination; the CRJ700 was the last jet in production to have the capability.

On 6 February 2023, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries terminated the Spacejet project altogether, stating the uncertainty of the regional jet market size, and announced plans to dissolve its Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation subsidiary.