The successful maiden flight of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet this month represents a milestone for Japan's aviation industry, following a lapse of some 40 years in the development of passenger planes. But it's too early to celebrate yet. Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. and the other companies involved must carry out more test flights and then pass the transport ministry's certification process before the first delivery of the aircraft can take place in April-June 2017.
The MRJ, a twin-engine jet capable of carrying 78 to 92 passengers and possessing a range of some 3,800 km, is the first indigenously developed passenger aircraft in decades. Japan's aviation industry, which had produced some 100,000 military aircraft before and during World War II, including the famous Zero and Hien fighters, went through a crucial dark time following Japan's surrender in the war as the Allied Occupation forces imposed a total ban on development and manufacturing of aircraft. By the time the ban was lifted in 1952, Japan found itself lagging far behind other countries whose aviation business had already entered the jet age.
In the mid-1950s, Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Co. — a consortium including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries, with 60 percent of its capital funded by the government — started development of the twin turboprop plane YS-11, which made its maiden flight in 1962. Its production was terminated in 1973 after only 182 planes were sold as the consortium suffered an accumulated loss of ¥36 billion. The core members of the consortium were not conscientious enough about holding down costs because their aviation business mainly consisted of sales to the Defense Agency.