Mitsubishi Successfully Tests First Made-in-Japan P&W Aero Engine

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation has announced the completion of maiden flight with the first Pratt & Whitney GTF PW1200G engine assembled in Japan.

“The flight was completed in the United States at the company’s Flight Test Center in Moses Lake, WA, and was performed by the company’s Flight Test Aircraft 1 (FTA1),” the company said in a statement on February 27.

The first flight took place on February 14. The Mitsubishi Aircraft flight test team validated the basic functions of the engine in normal flight. In subsequent flights, the performance of both the engine and the aircraft were confirmed, and the engine has been cleared. It is scheduled to join the flight test fleet in the coming weeks.

“We are very pleased that the first engine we completed has made its first flight. In addition to manufacturing complete aircraft like Mitsubishi Aircraft, the ability to assemble aircraft engines in Japan is very important for the growth of the domestic aircraft industry as well as the development of a reliable supply chain needed to support future aircraft,” said Katsuyuki Shimauchi, the President & CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines, Ltd.

The PW1200G engine uses Pratt & Whitney's proprietary GTF (Geared Turbofan) technology to achieve optimum efficiency by rotating the low-pressure turbine at high speeds, while significantly reducing noise by rotating the fan at low speeds. MHIAEL, founded in 2014, has one of 2 sites that finalize and test its PW1200G engine.