MetAllics i Machining
Fuselage sections 44 and 46: Being loaded onto the 747 ‘Dreamlifter’
The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ): Available in 78- and 92-seater models. A ‘stretch’ version to seat 100 passengers is also on the drawing board
A change of heart
Mitsubishi is planning a fleet of small regional aircraft – but has abandoned plans
to make the wings from composites. Lou Reade finds out why.
A
recent study by Lucintel says that the need for fuel for such a small aeroplane,” explains Yosuke Takigawa, senior
efficient, durable, low maintenance aircraft will boost vice president of sales and marketing at Mitsubishi Regional Jet
the industry’s demand for composites – swelling sales in Nagoya, Japan. “We challenged ourselves to use composite
to nearly $36 billion by 2018. The report states that ‘although wings for this size of aircraft. That’s why we marketed it that
aluminium is the predominant material in the aerospace way. Before switching to aluminium, we worked very hard to
industry, companies are showing increased interest in develop composite wings - but they were not beneficial from a
composite materials because of a desire for more fuel efficient, weight point of view.”
corrosion resistant aircraft’. The aluminium industry, of course was delighted. Steve
This makes a recent decision by Mitsubishi all the more Larkin, president of the Aluminum Association – the US-based
surprising: in September 2009 – late into the design of its group that promotes use of the metal – says: “We welcome
Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) – the company backed away Mitsubishi’s decision. Aluminium is the material of choice for
from using carbon fibre composites, deciding instead to make aerospace customers and continues to grow. Its light weight
the plane’s wings and wing box from aluminium. and strength is an advantage in primary and secondary weight
The move to aluminium was doubly surprising because the savings, structural performance, fuel savings and design
company had talked proudly about how the aeroplane would be flexibility.”
‘the first regional jet to adopt composite materials for its wings Despite its decision, Mitsubishi is not planning to abandon
and vertical fins on a significant scale’, helping to differentiate composites – and does not expect its decision to slow adoption
it from its main rivals – regional jets from Bombardier and of composites in other aircraft: it builds composite wings for
Embraer. the Boeing 787 and plans to use composites elsewhere on the
“We realised that the projected weight savings were not there MRJ.
AEROSPACEMANUFACTURING | jANUARy 2010 31
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40