Aug 22 2013
Mitsubishi on August 22, 2013 announced a further delay and pushback to its Mitsubishi Regional Jet program. The announced delay will postpone the program’s first flight and entry into service dates by well over a year.
In April 2012, the program had planned first flight in the last quarter of 2013 but has now set the first flight of the aircraft to the second quarter of 2015 which will add another year and a half to the ongoing delays and setbacks the program has faced.
First delivery, which was planned for mid 2015 to the first quarter of 2016 will not occur and is not tentatively scheduled to occur in the second quarter of 2017 to the program’s launch customer All Nippon Airways which has 15 MRJs on firm order plus 10 options.
Mitsubishi indicated that the delay was caused by aircraft systems and component design, along with parallel certification issues taking longer than the company had expected.
This event marks an ongoing issue with the program to meet its targeted goals with the end result being that if the program meets the new goal of first flight in 2015 it will represent a three year program delay in both first light and initial entry into service.
Aug 20 2013
On August 20th, 2013, it was reported that Bombardier received authorization from Transport Canada to extend the CSeries flight test program to May 2015, which would add six months to previous program schedules.
It also was noted on the authorization that first flight of the CSeries program will occur by the end of August 2013 as the program’s authorization shows information that the entire program is authorized from August 2013 until May 2015. As a result, there are some concerns that the initial in-service date for the CSeries will be delayed to the latter half of 2015.
While the initial first flight has been pushed back three times, Bombardier has said that initial service with airlines will occur within one year of the beginning of the flight test program. This would mean that the first aircraft to be operated should be in service by August 2014.
Bombardier has been quoted indicating that the extension to May 2015 would include the flight test program for the CS300, the 130-seat variant of the CS100. The CS300 is in its initial program stages, and is due to be in service one year after the CS100.
The CSeries program has conducted high-power and reverse-thrust engine tests and low-speed taxiing exercises of the CS100 flight-test vehicle at Mirabel. High-speed taxi runs are expected shortly and soon after the program’s first flight will occur.
Aug 16 2013
On August 16th, 2013, Bombardier announced that FTV-1, the first CSeries aircraft had begun a series of low-speed taxi runs, completed thrust reverser runs and as well stationary high-powered engine runs.
The program also announced that the aircraft had also completed aircraft in the loop testing were the aircraft was flown in a simulated flight environment to check that it behaved in the same manner as Aircraft 0, the ground test article for the program.
FTV-1 was expected to enter Bombardier’s paint shop shortly before it moves towards scheduled first flight, which is expected by the end of August 2013.