Last Mitsubishi MRJ test plane enters final assembly

The Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. says that the last of seven test planes for its MRJ regional jet program has entered final assembly.

The seventh test plane will be used for fatigue testing, which is used to make sure the airframe can hold up to the repeated stresses put on an aircraft from taking off, flying at altitude and landing. The plane entered final assembly June 30.

With 78- and 92-seat variants, Mitsubishi is trying to break into the regional jetliner market, which is currently dominated by Bombardier and Embraer.

The Japanese airplane maker is opening an engineering center in Seattle in August. It plans to do some MRJ flight testing at Moses Lake in Central Washington.

The airplane is slated to make its maiden flight in Japan this October and start flying for airlines in 2017.

Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dcatchpole.

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