We had the demise of the home grown’ aviation here in Australia and apart from the disappointment of seeing it vanish I had wondered if it could ever be resurrected. Perhaps we have with the Gippsland GA18 gippsaero/aircraft/ga18.aspx#tab4 Japan with aviation did worse than Australia back in the 70’s when the Japanese government (Ministry of International Trade and Industry) wanted a ‘home grown’ replacement for the ageing DC3 that was doing the short haul routes in Japan. Well they did it. They designed and built what was known as the YS-11 but typical of a government project the more aircraft they made the more money they lost. Now the first designed and made-in-Japan passenger jet in 40 years has been put on show. Some say the significance of this milestone cannot be overstated. It is possible that the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, or MRJ developed by Mitsubishi will herald a change in the downturn of Japanese manufacturing. The MRJ is a twin-engine jet that can accommodate 70 to 90 passengers. It is equipped with a new type of engine that sips fuel while generating relatively little noise. It is intended for shorter flights linking urban hubs with smaller cities. I suppose the only difference between Australia and Japan is that they have kept some heavy manufacturing industries. Now with Australia having no manufacturing of any size at all I thought we would not see aero-space/ aviation/ locomotive design/ agricultural equipment/ motor vehicles (cars or trucks)/ mining equipment/ shipping designs ever again in my life time. Now India has come to our assistance it seems. Mahindra is backing building the Australian Nomad here in Gippsland and calling it the Gippsland GA18. Now all we need is the Unions and some other government agencies to insist on some input and the doors will shut again.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 22:05:54 +0000
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