TWAIDC - Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation has signed a contract with the Taiwan-based Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation under which the firm will design and manufacture slats, flaps, belly fairings, rudders and elevators for the next-generation regional jet, the MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet), which is currently in development. Established in 1969, AIDC is a Taiwanese airplane manufacturer that boasts nearly 40 years of history. In 1996, the company expanded the scope of its activities beyond its traditional field of military aircraft, and began to manufacture structural components for commercial aircraft, including the main wings and vertical tail fins for business jets, as well as helicopter cockpits. Under the terms of its agreement with Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, AIDC will be tasked with overseeing the five parts of the MRJ outlined below. 1. Slats (An aileron fit at the leading edge of the main wing serving to increase lift.) 2. Flaps (An aileron fit at the trailing edge of the main wing serving to increase lift.) 3. Belly fairing (Covering for the juncture of the wing and the fuselage.) 4. Rudder (Rotating blade positioned at the rear vertical tail fin.) 5. Elevator (Rotating blade positioned at the rear of the horizontal stabilizer.) Commenting on the arrangement, AIDC President Shiah, Yeau-Yi said, "We are honored to be a partner on the MRJ project and to be able to participate in producing the next-generation regional jet, the MRJ. Producing technologically advanced materials requires working with superior business partners. As such, we are fully committed to making this into a model project that will meet the world's demand in structural aircraft parts and do so in a timely fashion." "With the participation of AIDC, we have just about assembled all of our primary partners required for development and production of the MRJ," said Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation President Nobuo Toda, adding, "With MHI, Mitsubishi Aircraft and our other first-class partners from around the world, the MRJ project has transitioned smoothly into the design and technical evaluation stage." The MRJ will be powered by Pratt & Whitney's most advanced and highly efficient PurePower™ PW1000G engine, 1 with other major participating partners including Parker Aerospace (the aircraft's hydraulic system), Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (various systems, including electrical power, air management and auxiliary power units), Rockwell Collins (the flight control computers and avionics), Nabtesco Corporation (the flight control actuators), Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd., (the landing gear), and Spirit AeroSystems (pylons). (1) PurePowerTIol PW1000G engine was formerly known as the Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engine.
About Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation commenced operation on April 1, 2008 to implement the design, type certification, procurement, sales and customer support of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet. It is currently capitalized at 70 billion yen, with 67.5 percent of this financing being furnished by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., 10 percent from Toyota Motor Corporation, 10 percent from Mitsubishi Corporation, 5 percent from Sumitomo Corporation and 5 percent from Mitsui & Co., Ltd.