MHIAEL
Pratt & Whitney and MHIAEL celebrate the first PW1200G engine assembly completed at MHIAEL facility in Komaki, Japan. Credit: PRNewsfoto/Pratt & Whitney.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines (MHIAEL) has completed the final assembly of the Pratt & Whitney GTF PW1200G engine that will power the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), the first jet being developed by Japan-based Mitsubishi Aircraft.

The assembly was performed at MHIAEL’s facility at Komaki, Japan, and passed Pratt & Whitney’s production acceptance test.

Mitsubishi Aircraft is expected to use the first engine built at the Komaki facility for its MRJ flight test programme.

“Our facility is in the process of obtaining approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration to produce these engines.”

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines president and CEO Katsuyuki Shimauchi said: “We’re gearing up intensely as we prepare for production by building the capacities and expertise we need to perform this critical work.

“Our facility is in the process of obtaining approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration to produce these engines.”

In addition to Pratt & Whitney’s Mirabel Aerospace Center in Canada, MHIAEL’s Komaki facility will handle production assembly and testing of the PW1200G engine.

Pratt & Whitney commercial engine programmes vice-president Graham Webb said: “The assembly and test of the first PW1200G engine at MHIAEL in Komaki is a key milestone for the PW1200G programme.”

The company’s GTF engines will be used to power the MRJ jet.

Mitsubishi Aircraft is currently carrying out flight testing of the MRJ jet and expects to deliver the first aircraft in mid-2020.

Using the GTF engine’s geared fan architecture, the engine can significantly reduce its fuel consumption and noise footprint, as well as regulate emissions.

Pratt & Whitney noted that it is investing more than $2.5bn in advanced manufacturing and aftermarket technology to improve its footprint in the US and overseas.