SUBARU FA-200 formation flight! 40 years later, it's still going strong!

 In 1961, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) (now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) sponsored the basic research for the Subaru (formerly Fuji Heavy Industries) FA-200, and in 1964, full-scale planning was started, and in October of the same year, the prototype production policy was decided.

In March 1965, the aircraft received FAA inspection, was modified to improve practicality, and made its first flight in August 1965. Type certificates were obtained for the N class in March 1966 , the U class in July 1966 and A class later.

By 1984, 300 FA-200s had been manufactured and exported overseas. It is estimated that about 50 FA-200s are still flying in Japan and abroad.

Eight of the 18 FA-200s registered in Japan are still in Kumamoto, and supported by enthusiastic fans, they continue to fly even after half a century.

The other day, a formation flight by Super Wings, which uses Kumamoto Airport as its base airfield, was broadcasted on TV!

For the the telecast, please visit ・・・・・

First flight of the first mass-produced SUBARU UH-2

 On May 19, Subaru conducted the first flight of the first mass-produced UH-2, the new multi-purpose helicopter of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, which is being manufactured at the Aerospace Company Utsunomiya Works (Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture).

For more details, click here...

U.S. Boeing completes T-7A Red Hawk training plane for the Air Force!

  Boeing awarded the U.S. Air Force a $9.2 billion contract for 351 T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainers, 46 simulators and its support in 2018, and  the first aircraft has completed. The jet was digitally designed using advanced digital modeling and manufacturing techniques and developed from concept to first flight in 36 months. It features open architecture software, digital fly-by-wire controls, and advanced cockpit technology.

For more details, click here....

MHI to Expand Nagasaki Aero Engine Plant

 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI ) announced that it will double the size of its Nagasaki Plant of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines, which manufactures aircraft engine parts on the premises of its Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Nagasaki City. The investment is approximately 10 billion yen. The second-phase building will be completed in March 2024 next to the first-phase building, which will manufacture combustors for the engines of Airbus' A320neo short- and medium-range passenger aircraft. A fully integrated production system for combustors will be established to meet the expected increase in demand for "after-corona" products.

Image of the MHI Aero Engine Nagasaki Plant (Image: MHI).

515 passenger planes of Russian airlines seized by Russian government?

 As of March 2012, 515 passenger aircraft owned by Japanese and European leasing companies and leased by Russian airlines such as Aeroflot and S7 Airlines are expected to be confiscated by the Russian government.

The Russian airlines operated 980 aircraft, of which 777 were leased, and  515 out of  them relied on foreign leases.

Aichi Prefecture's disaster-prevention helicopter will be operated by the prefecture government directly starting in FY2022!

Operation of Aichi Prefecture's disaster prevention helicopter, Bell 412EP, has been outsourced to Central Japan Airlines, but due to the new double pilots system newly instituted in light of the accident that occurred in Nagano Prefecture, operation will be no longer outsourced but carried out in cooperation with the Nagoya City Fire Department.

Formation flight by SUBARU FA-200s!

 Subaru (formerly Fuji Heavy Industries) developed the FA-200 commercial aircraft in the 1960s and manufactured 300 of them. About 40 of these aircraft are still registered in Japan and about 60 overseas.  Most of the flight-ready FA-200s in Japan are located at Kumamoto Airport.

Kumamoto Airport is Japan's only Class 1 airport with a dedicated apron for BGA, and is an active airport shared by airlines, BGA aircraft, helicopters, police aircraft, disaster prevention aircraft, and Self Defense Force aircraft.

　For general aviation aircraft, Sojo University specializes in pilot training, and there are also organizations for both beginners and experienced pilots, such as the Kumamoto Flight Club for hobby pilots and SuperWings, which specializes in aerobatic and formation flying.

We are pleased to announce that we participated in the SuperWings training among them. This time, as measures to prevent the spread of corona infection continue, we flew in the sky to wish for a quick return to normal operations. We circled over Kumamoto Castle!

Nearly 600 companies from over 39 countries and regions participated in the Singapore Airshow 2022!

 The Singapore Airshow 2022 was held at the Changi International Airport Exhibition Centre from February 15-18 while the effects of COVID-19 are being contained globally.

More than 70% of the world's top 20 aerospace companies gathered at Changi Exhibition Center this year, with approximately 600 companies from over 39 countries and regions participating. Although the number of exhibitors was only about 30% of the previous year, there was a sense of enthusiasm for the show to regain its previous level of activity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1uKgj5OFao

The next show will be held on February 20-25, 2024.

https://www.singaporeairshow.com/

Prime Minister Kishida mentioned MSJ in Diet!

 The 208th National Diet of Japan (Regular Session), House of Representatives, Budget Committee (February 7, 2022)

[Atsushi Oshima, Member of the House of Representatives, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (Saitama Ward 6)]

I still think it is important not to stop.  We have been able to create an industrial base for this in the space industry. As for the aerospace industry, this will make it possible to hire employees such as researchers in the companies have researchers even in the future.

And now, in the aviation industry that Japan has been cultivated, I am afraid that the aviation industry of commercial jet aircraft may end here unfortunately. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) is responsible for the type certification. It is very important. If Japan obtains type certification, we can sell aircraft in the United States. We have secured personnel for this purpose, and private companies have also probably spent a great deal of money for this purpose.

The question is, can we really afford a setback here? I don't think we will ever be able to have an aviation industry in Japan again if we set back. I think that  the world is not so critical of the development of private jets, even if they are funded by the government, as is the case with semiconductors. So, how will the government think about this point in the future? The bottom line is that the electrification of automobiles means that there will be no more parts manufacturers. The fact that there is an aerospace indus

Qatar Airways’ A321neo Order Canceled By Airbus Amid A350 Dispute

In the ongoing dispute over A350 surface degradation issues, Airbus has announced that it has canceled Qatar Airways’ order for 50 A321neos. What started as reports of abnormal paint issues in January of 2021 has escalated significantly over the past 12 months, with a legal showdown looming.

For more information, click here....

MHI Aerospace Systems will have the Introductory seminar of Model-Based Development of Commercial Aircraft!

 

As the complexity of aircraft onboard software increases, the ways to improve efficiency through model-based development methods are being sought. When applying model-based development in commercial aircraft software development, DO-331, which is a model-based development guideline, is also required in addition to DO-178C, which is a software development guideline. In this seminar, The DO-331 development process and the tool qualification required for commercial aircraft software development, including the experience of applying MBD tools to DO-331 will be explained.

Date and Time ： February 25, 2022 (Friday) 14:00 - 17:00

Method of Implementation: Online Seminar (WebEx to be used)

　　　　　 The URL of the meeting will be sent to participants separately.

 Seminar Contents:

•  Overview of DO-331 development process
•  Overview of Tool Qualification (DO-330 Overview)　
•  Considerations for applying DO-331/MBD

 Target Participants:

•  Engineers who are working in the field of commercial aircraft development.
•  Engineers who are working in the companies considering to apply MBD to   aircraft software development.

 Number of participants: About 50 people

 Course Fee ： Free of charge

Application and Inquiries:

　Matsuyama - 

　Certification Section, Process Development Management Department, MHI         Aerospace Systems Co.

E-Mail: certification@ds.mhi.com

Launch of Airbus Atlantic, a new global player for aerostructures

 A wholly-owned Airbus subsidiary, Airbus Atlantic, a global player in the aerostructures field, was officially established on 1st January 2022. The new company groups the strengths, resources and skills of Airbus’s sites in Nantes and Montoir-de-Bretagne, the central functions associated with their activities, as well as the STELIA Aerospace sites worldwide.

With 13,000 staff in 5 countries and 3 continents, and an estimated business volume of around 3.5 Bn euros, Airbus Atlantic is the world number two for aerostructures, world number one for pilot seats and ranks in the top three for Business Class and First Class passenger seats, which continue to be marketed under the STELIA Aerospace brand.

For more details, click here....

Airbus delivered world's first H160 to All Nippon Helicopter (ANH)!

 Airbus delivered the first H160 to All Nippon Helicopter (ANH) in Japan, marking the beginning of a new chapter for this next-generation twin-engine helicopter.

The H160 is the most technologically advanced helicopter in the world, with 68 patents.

The multi-role H160 will be delivered from the Airbus helicopter facility in Kobe, Japan, where it will undergo flight training and installation of special equipment for electronic news gathering before entering service.

For more details, click here....

Delivery of Airbus ACJ220, business jet version of A220, to begin service in 2011

 ACJ TwoTwenty is based on the A220-100, the standard version of the A220, and launched in October 2020. The cabin is 23.8 meters long, 3.3 meters wide, and 2.0 meters high, with a floor space of 73 square meters. It has a living area and a bedroom, and can accommodate up to 19 passengers.