Spirit delivers first flight test pylon for Mitsubishi Regional Jet

Spirit AeroSystems celebrated the rollout of the first flight test pylon for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) aircraft. The pylon and underwing structure are used to mount the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney power plant to the wing and are designed and manufactured by Spirit at the company’s Wichita, Kan., facility. In 2008, Mitsubishi awarded a contract to Spirit AeroSystems to design and build pylons for both the MRJ70 and MRJ90 aircraft models. The work package also includes systems, pylon-to-wing integration hardware and the aft fairing package. Spirit has more than 75 years of experience designing and producing pylons. An industry team of Spirit, Mitsubishi and Pratt & Whitney have worked together to define structural interface points and complete the pylon structural design. The finished product is made of lightweight aluminum, titanium and composite components, and is a combination of purchased items, Spirit-fabricated components and Mitsubishi-furnished equipment.