At 09:35 this morning, the MRJ-200 prototype, developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and bearing registration number JA21MJ, successfully completed its maiden flight at Nagoya Airport. The aircraft obtained flight test permit from the government on October 29.

The flight test site was live-streamed on UStream. I happened to be on the subway using my iPhone to catch the moment of taxiing and takeoff, so I took screenshots as a memento. Since this was the maiden flight, the test objectives primarily focused on basic flight performance such as Climb, Descent, and left and right Turns. Therefore, the landing gear and Flaps remained in the extended position throughout the one-and-a-half-hour test flight. The maximum altitude reached during this flight was 15,000 feet, with a maximum speed of 150 knots.

The known data for the MRJ-200 released by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) is as follows: Length: 35.8 meters Wingspan: 29.3 meters Height: 10.4 meters Maximum Takeoff Weight: 42,800 kg Engine: Pratt & Whitney PW1217G Maximum Range: 3,310 km Maximum Seating Capacity: 92

Below are the screenshots.

09:21 Taxiing onto the Taxiway MRJ’s pointed nose looks a bit like a fox’s snout…

09:25 Turning onto the Runway

09:35 Accelerating for Takeoff Run

09:35:40 Rotate and Lift-off

09:36 Continuous Climb and a shallow bank right Turn You can see a Kawasaki T-4 trainer accompanying it on the right side.

According to this report and this report from the Japanese website Newswithch, the domestic production rate of the MRJ is only 30%. This means that 70% of its components, including engines, flight management systems, avionics, hydraulics, air conditioning, etc., need to be imported from abroad. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ website has also released a list of parts suppliers. I will summarize this when I have time in the future.

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