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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0412.PDF
412 FLIGHT, 1 April 1955 Three more examples of Japanese aircraft: from the left, Fuji-Beech T-34A Mentor (225 h.p. Continental); Kayaba Heliplane (180 h.p. Continental); and Toyo TT-1O (135 h.p. Ly coming). RE-RISING SUN ... least, build unequipped airframes, a considerable proportion ofthe accessory equipment being purchased from America. To start with, 150 T-33As are being assembled from Lockheed-builtcomponents, Kawasaki thereafter proceeding to make the aircraft from scratch. It was hoped that the first machines would be builtthis year, but difficulties have arisen with regard to the supplies of J33 turbojets (dealt with in the section on engines). Kawasaki-Gifu have also designed two quite adequate lightliaison and training aircraft, one of which, the KAL, bears a close resemblance to the Bonanza (although it has a tailwheel) and theother, the KAT, is generally similar to the Mentor. In the autumn of 1954 one KAL-1 and a pair of KAL-2s were sold to theA.S.D.F., and a KAL-1 was purchased by the Japanese Aviation College. These types are two of the most advanced "home-grown" aircraft to have appeared in Japan since the war. The purchase price of the KAL is quoted as approximately £13,000,not including £4,000 for radio equipment and spare parts. Kawasaki-Kikai are at present the principal source of rotary-wing aircraft in Japan. The company purchased a manufacturing licence for the Bell 47 series of helicopters and, since January of lastyear, a number of deliveries of Kawasaki-Bell 47Ds have been made to both service and civilian purchasers. These helicoptersare at present being made at the rate of approximately five aircraft per month. Kayaba Industrial Company. Before the war, this firm manu-factured Autogiros and aircraft undercarriages. In 1952, Shiro Kayaba, the founder of the firm, obtained the fuselage of a Cessna170B and, during the following two years, turned it into quite a presentable convertiplane. The normal 180 h.p. Continental engine, driving a fixed-pitchairscrew, has been retained but a three-blade rotor with a diameter of 36ft has been mounted above the cabin. Each blade of thisrotor will eventually be driven by an Ishikawajima ramjet. Known as the Kayaba Heliplane, this curious machine is expected to beable to climb vertically and then cruise horizontally under the power of its piston-engine alone. It is known that tied-downtesting took place late last year but no reports have been received of the machine's having flown. Shin Meiwa Industries, Ltd. This company is the successorto the former Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured various types of civil and military aircraft, a considerable propor-tion of which were seaplanes and flying-boats. One of five large companies licensed by the Japanese Government to manufactureaircraft, Shin Meiwa plan to be in production with American designs before the end of this year. In the second week of March, the Nippon Times reported thatnegotiations were going on between the company and Douglas Aircraft Co., Inc., with a view to manufacture of the latter'smachines in Japan. It was stated that Mr. J. S. Farrar, of Douglas, recently visited Shin Meiwa and offered assistance in establishingthe Japanese firm as an overhaul facility for large Douglas trans- ports, such as the DC-6B, C-118 and C-124. On their own account, Shin Meiwa have a light jet trainer inthe project and mock-up stage. Designated KJT-01, this machine would be powered by an unspecified unit of 4,500 lb thrust andwould be suitable for all forms of basic military training. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Re-organised, Ltd. Haying losttheir factory at Nagoya during the war, this great industrial group have erected a new plant on the edge of the airfield at Kumaki,some miles to the south-east. By far the biggest aircraft produc- tion programme in Japan is Mitsubishi's schedule for the manu-facture of the F-86F Sabre. Mitsubishi have maintained close technical liaison with North American Aviation, Inc. since theend of 1952, and have since overhauled, and manufactured non- structural parts for, Sabres of the F.E.A.F. The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry have, with the co-operation of the American Government, beengradually formulating a plan for the manufacture of some 600 Sabres in Japan as a major item in the six-year build-up of Japan'sdefence forces. A conference was held during the latter half of last month with a view to establishing the attitude of both countriesto this programme and determining how much of the financial burden should be borne by the Japanese Government. The Japan-ese Finance Ministry originally intended to transfer £lm from the American Mutual Security Agency Wheat Fund to the Sabreassembly programme, but it is believed that, following proposals made by Irving Roth, a representative of the U.S. AssistanceSecretaries for Defense in charge of international security and financial affairs, agreement may be reached along rather differentlines. The original American proposal was that, of an initial expendi-ture of £10.5m, America would contribute £6m for airframe manufacture, the Japanese paying the remainder. This was tofinance the assembly of 70 aircraft from American-made parts extending over two years from mid-1955. From 1957 it wasoriginally intended that the Japanese should finance Sabre pro- duction entirely from their own funds, but Mr. Roth is reportedas having indicated that American financial help might continue after this date. As now scheduled, Japan will assemble 70 F-86Fsbefore June 1957, 111 between July 1957 and June 1958, 214 between 1958 and 1959, and 200 between 1959 and 1961. Thegrand total is thus 595 Sabres, all of which are scheduled for the A.S.D.F. The estimated Japanese share of the cost of this pro-gramme is £40-£50m. Mitsubishi also imported a T-28 from North American Aviation,in the hope that the type would be adopted by the A.S.D.F. as a piston-engined advanced trainer. This, however, seems veryunlikely in view of the standardization of the T-34/T-33 training sequence. Mitsubishi's only post-war design so far is the projected JTM-1advanced trainer. This design, which has been submitted for con- sideration by the National Defence Agency as a standard basictrainer, has a swept wing, and the prototype would be powered by an American-built Continental Marbore turbojet. Productionversions would have a 2,200 lb thrust turbojet of Japanese design— probably the JO-1 described below. A close liaison has also been established with the SikorskyDivision of the United Aircraft Corporation, with a view to the manufacture by Mitsubishi of advanced types of helicopter. TheJapanese company have already assembled American-made com- ponents for 12 HO4S (S-55) helicopters for the Maritime SafetyBoard; these helicopters are now being used by the Naval Self Defence Force, for whom Mitsubishi carry out maintenance andoverhaul. Mitsubishi also manufacture S-55 spares. Okamura Manufacturing Company, Ltd. During World War 2,the predecessors of this company built light liaison, observation and training aircraft for the Japanese Navy. Today, the manu-facture of light aircraft is being carried out on a small scale. The N-52 side-by-side two-seater was designed by Prof. H. Kimuraof Nihon University, and the prototype flew in the summer of 1953. It is a neat little aircraft with a mixed structure of wood,steel tube and fabric. As far as is known, only one has so far been made. During the past 18 months the Okamura company have_ alsocompleted the design of a two-seat sailplane for the University of Tokyo. The construction of several has begun and at least oneshould be flying this year. Showa Aircraft Industries Company, Ltd. This Tokyo firmwere the first to return to aviation when, early in 1952, they secured an overhaul and repair contract from the American F.E.A.F. Oneof the principal types involved in this contract was the Douglas C-47 transport, and it is of historical interest that the DC-3 was
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