Updated with clarification from Mitsubishi Aircraft about specific pedals in first and third paragraphs.
Mitsubishi Aircraft has announced a two-week delay to the MRJ regional jet's first flight, citing issues with the aircraft’s rudder pedals.
A spokeswoman tells Flightglobal the first flight will be delayed to the week of 9 November, because of the need to upgrade the rudder pedals in the cockpit.
"Under the current situation, we need to expand the movable range of the rudder, hence the decision to make the upgrade," she adds.
A review board from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is now scheduled to conduct a pre-flight review of the MRJ early next week. This is to gain approval for the aircraft to take its first flight.
Following this, the Japanese manufacturer will continue with high-speed taxi tests and evaluation, in preparation for the aircraft's first flight.
Mitsubishi last month announced that the MRJ would take its first flight between 26 and 30 October. Until this delay, it had maintained that its first flight window would remain unchanged.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
