BRENDAN SOBIE / TOKYO
Government hopes to draw on experience of producing military aircraft and engines
Japanese aerospace companies are targeting the regional sector in a government-backed attempt to resume manufacturing commercial aircraft that could also be powered by a new indigenous engine.
Japan has not manufactured a civil aircraft since the NAMC YS-11 turboprop, but believes it can again by leveraging its experience producing domestic military aircraft and commercial aircraft components for foreign manufacturers. Japan also eyes a similar expansion for its aerospace engine industry by drawing on experience manufacturing military engines and parts of commercial engines.
Around ¥9 billion ($76 million) is being invested to conduct three studies to determine the feasibility of building indigenous regional jets and engines.
"The aircraft industry is very important for Japan, but Japanese companies don't have aircraft assembling technologies," says the ministry of economy, trade and industry (METI). "Many want to see Japanese civilian aircraft."
METI plans to provide ¥2.5 billion over the next five years to an industry team led by Mitsubishi to study a regional jet. Mitsubishi and its three partners are expected to chip in another ¥2.5 billion. They have decided to focus on the 25- to 35-seat sector because the competition is too intense for larger regional jets. "We'd like to create a niche market with 30-seaters," Mitsubishi says.
Ishikawajima Heavy Industries (IHI) is leading a separate seven-year, ¥3.5 billion study with six partners. But IHI has decided to focus on powerplants for 50-seat jets and plans to discuss with Bombardier and Embraer potential requirements for a new-generation engine in this category. "An engine for 30-seaters is probably too small for us," IHI says.
METI has agreed to cover the engine study's ¥250 million cost in the first year, but expects the companies to chip in about 25% next year and 50% for the final phase.
The IHI and Mitsubishi studies will begin imminently, while a third study led by the Japan Aircraft Development Corporation (JADC) was launched last year. This study is looking at applying some of the technology being developed for Kawasaki's C-X and P-X to an indigenous regional jet. The C-X and P-X would seat 150-250 passengers in a transport configuration, but JADC says it is not studying a civilian conversion of these military aircraft. "We only study technology conversion to a regional jet," the company says.
The length of this study will be determined after phase one, which will be completed in early 2005. The study will cost ¥500 million for the first two years, with equal contributions from government and industry.
Source: Flight International