Mitsubishi widened its aircraft company by establishing an engineering center designed to test its MRJ with the aid of a local partner. The new center's inauguration on Aug. 3 was joined by dignitaries in Seattle.
The Seattle office will house 50 Japanese and a hundred American engineers. According to Komo News, the company's aircraft president, Hiromichi Morimoto, said that the company's main goal is to utilize the resources and skills of the experienced aircraft professionals in Seattle in building quality aircrafts.
The opening of the center was joined by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Gov. Jay Inslee and other dignitaries. It was celebrated with the Japanese tradition of opening a big barrel of sake with a wooden hammer. They call this tradition "kagami".
The Seattle Times said that the new center will focus on gathering flight-test data of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ). The center will concentrate on the flight test program for the MRJ.
The MRJ are commercial planes which will be marketed as regional jets. The planes are below the capacity of the smallest planes of the Boeing and Airbus.
Most of the tests will be conducted at the Moses Lake in Washington. Additional 200 employees will be hired in the Area to administer the flights.
The governor said that the company's move is a proof that Washington is competitive when it comes to aerospace design and production. He added that Japan and America's culture and economy has long been intertwined and they are excited in building the legacy of MRJ.
The first MRJ plane to fly Japan is scheduled on September or October. The planes are planned to be commercialized in 2017.