AEROSPACE

Boeing Expected to Join Japanese Aircraft Project: Four foreign firms, including Boeing Co., are expected to join in the $725-million project to develop Japan’s next generation of small, short-haul passenger aircraft, the Nikkei Shimbun newspaper reported. The project to build the 80-passenger YSX jet is currently being undertaken by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and Japan Aircraft Development Corp., a company set up by leading Japanese heavy-machinery makers, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. The newspaper, which quoted anonymous industry sources, said ATR, a French-Italian joint venture, Sweden’s Saab and China’s state-run Aviation Industries of China are also expected to participate. The foreign firms are likely to join the project’s feasibility study next year and become full members of the development team in 1995, the newspaper said.