The development of the MH2000 commercial helicopter was started in April 1995, following the long time experience on the licensed production for the Japanese Self Defense Force. This is the first purely Japanese-made commercial helicopter. The paper presents the outline of the MH2000 development emphasizing its unique features for a short-term development. In addition to the short development period, MHI developed both the aircraft and its engine at the same time, which is the first case in the industry. To achieve the unique aspects of MH2000 development, we take some new approaches in design and manufacturing stages. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) conducted a significant reduction of development period and development cost in order to minimize the risk of development with quick response to the market trends, introducing new features shown in this paper for the commercial helicopter in the twenty-first century.
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