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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0413.PDF
FLIGHT, 1 April 1955 413 RE-RISING SUN . . . licence-built by Showa before and during World War 2. Showaplan to manufacture complete aircraft, but no prototype design or licence agreement has yet been made public. New; Tachikawa Aircraft Company, Ltd. This firm remainedmore or less intact during the "forbidden" period and they erected a fine new factory outside Sunagawa, replacing their own originalplant which is occupied by the U.S.A.F. During the summer of 1952 the company completed the design of their Tachihi R-52trainer, and the prototype was completed in September of that year. This was the first post-war aircraft built in Japan and itwas, into the bargain, constructed entirely of Japanese materials and powered by a Japanese engine (a 130 h.p. Jimpu Radial). From the R-52 has been developed the Cirrus-powered TachihiR-53, of generally similar layout. The company have also built at least one example of a refined cabin version of Henri Mignet'sPou du del (Flying Flea). This machine, designated Tachikawa R-HM, has done considerable flying but is not in production.Toyo Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Ltd. Unique among the important Japanese aircraft firms in that it did not exist beforeVJ-Day, the Toyo company was formed in the summer of 1952 by a former aircraft executive, a former admiral and a formerminister. The first-named, Yoshio Hashiguchi, was formerly managing director and chief engineer of Kawasaki. The company were early off the mark with their TT-10 tandemtrainer, powered with a Lycoming flat four. The prototype flew at the end of 1952 and a small batch is since reported to have beencompleted. Construction is generally of wood, with the exception of the steel-tube fuselage, the covering being of fabric. Toyo'sprincipal effort, however, is being undertaken in conjunction with the Fletcher Aviation Corporation of California. In 1953, Toyosecured manufacturing rights for the FD-25A Defender, and this machine is now in full production. A number have already beencompleted for the Air Self Defence Force, and Toyo also hope to attract a wide market for the Defender in such countries asThailand and Indonesia. Engine Production. Although Japan produced several remark-ably good engines during World War 2—particularly air-cooled units of the 2,000 h.p. class—she has so far made little headwayin re-establishing production lines of competitive power units. Several factors, particularly the introduction of the gas turbine,have wrought great changes in the skills, tools and processes required; even with "Western" assistance, the mass-productionof modern engines is probably still at least two years distant. Fuji Heavy Industries. Back in 1952, the Omiya Fuji Co.received a grant from the Japanese government of £3,500 to assist the development of a small axial turbojet (British engine companieswill no doubt smile at the magnitude of this sum). This engine, designated Fuji JO-1, is a forward development of the NE-20turbojet of 1944-5 which was, in turn, a variant of the original German B.M.W. 109-003, examples of which were shipped toJapan in a U-boat. The JO-1 is a simple single-shaft engine, with an eight-stagecompressor (ratio, about 4 : 1), eight separate combustion cham- bers and a single-stage turbine. Equipped, the JO-1 weighs about990 lb and the design thrust is 2,200 lb at 12,000 r.p.m., with a specific fuel consumption of 1.1 lb/hr/lb. The prototype JO-1was assembled in the summer of last year. We illustrated it in our issue of September 3rd, and commented that it was thenscheduled to run "in a few weeks," but no report of its behaviour on test have yet been received. The Omiya Fuji company wereabsorbed into Fuji Heavy Industries in July 1953, and the Fuji group are now working under contract to the Japan Jet EngineCompany. Last year, Fuji paid just over £80,000 for a licence to manu-facture Continental engines (this licence is thought to exclude Continental-Turbomeca engines) and market them throughouteastern Asia. Flat-six Continental units are now coming into production for the Fuji-Beech Mentor and the Toyo-FletcherFD-25A. Ishikawajima Heavy Industries. Well known for their aircraftin World War 2, this company have had a small staff at work upon the development of ramjets for the past two years. A number ofsimple subsonic ramjets have been tested on whirling rigs, and these units bear great similarity to those developed in Californiaby Hiller Helicopters, although there is no report of any liaison between the two companies. During 1954, Ishikawajima were hoping to receive part of thesecond distribution of Mutual Security Agency funds in order to establish themselves as the manufacturer of the General ElectricJ47 turbojet to meet the requirements of Japanese Sabre produc- tion. However, the Ministry of International Trade and Financereiterated their policy that there should be only one organization (the Japan Jet Engine Company) responsible for the productionof gas-turbine aero engines. Ishikawajima were one of the founder-firms of the private Japanese Jet Engine ManufacturingCompany. . , nc, Japanese Jet Engine Manufacturing Company. During 1953, Fuji Heavy Industries, Fuji Precision Industries, IshikawajimaHeavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries jointly formed an organization with this title, the starting capital being £160,000.The terms of reference of the combine were, first, to catch up on gas-turbine developments during the period 1945-53, and,second, to produce gas-turbine aero engines of either native or imported design. It was suggested that, once production began,the organization should be disbanded. Plans have been laid for co-operating with other Japaneseorganizations working towards similar goals. On the other hand, it is by no means certain that any liaison is maintained with theorganization listed immediately below. Japan Jet Engine Company. This entirely new organizationwas planned last year by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. It is a semi-official enterprise, with both governmentand industrial backing. On August 17th, 1954, I.T.I. Ministry officials deliberated upon the Japanese engine-production policy,as a result of which the decision—far-reaching, and possibly short- sighted—was taken that the JJ.E. Co. should be reorganized asa special company which should then become the sole Japanese manufacturer of gas turbine aero engines. The early developmentof the company was to be assisted by the allocation of part of the M.S.A. wheat grant. This decision has by no means been accepted without questionby Japanese industrial firms, who have shown themselves sus- picious of government-backed organizations. The NationalDefense Agency are also quoted as entertaining hopes of the establishment of at least two private companies as jet manufac-turers. The Finance Ministry, however, has proclaimed itself opposed to widespread domestic manufacture of gas turbines, onthe grounds that it is cheaper, and far quicker, to import such units as are required. While this may be true it is doubtful if sucha policy will benefit Japan in the long run. At present the J.J.E. Co. remain a "chosen instrument," and itis scheduled to operate as a monopoly. Its principal task seems to be the licence-production of the General Electric J47 turbojet, atleast 1,000 of which will be needed by the Japanese Sabre pro- gramme between now and the summer of 1961. There are indica-tions, however, that at least the first few hundred J47s will have to be imported. Kawasaki Aircraft Company. It is intended that Kawasaki-Kikai shall be the sole source of engines needed by all Kawasaki- built aircraft. A considerable production capacity is already inexistence for piston engines up to almost 1,000 h.p. Kawasaki have already designed and built an engine, with thedesignation KAE-1. This unit, the first to be produced in Japan since the war, is a six-cylinder, air-cooled, horizontally opposedengine giving 240 h.p. No doubt it bears a close resemblance to the Lycoming engines with which Kawasaki have become familiar.The prototype KAE was run at the Kobe works last September. Production units are to be fitted to all Kawasaki-Bell helicoptersand to a number of types of fixed-wing aircraft. Supported by Lockheed Aircraft Service (Overseas), Inc.,Kawasaki have also entered the turbine field. Within three months the Japanese company took over a bombed-out installation andbuilt, equipped and staffed a complete engine-overhaul plant, which started work at the beginning of this year. The new factoryis engaged in the repair and overhaul of Allison J33 turbojets from Lockheed T-33s and F-80s based in Japan and Korea. Kawasakialso—naturally enough—have expressed a desire to build the J33 to meet the needs of their own programme for making T-33s, butthe Japanese government is not at present allowing any company to manufacture both aircraft and engines. The J33s will, therefore,be imported, unless their manufacture can be undertaken by the Japan Jet Engine Company. Shin Meiwa. The de Havilland Enterprise is assisting this air-craft company to establish itself as an overhaul organization for Gipsy engines, a number of which are now operated in Japan,principally in Herons and Doves. NON-DESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION TPHE recently formed organization bearing the somewhat-*• startling title of The Society of Non-Destructive Examination appears to be making progress. As engineers will at once recognize,its members' interests lie in the field of inspecting metallic and other materials by methods—X-ray, magnetic, and so on—whichdo not involve damage to the work under examination. The next quarterly meeting of S.O.N.D.E. takes place onApril 22nd, when the guest speaker will be Mr. E. W. Colbeck, M.A., F.I.M., metallurgical and research director of Hadfields,Ltd., who will be talking on the application of non-destructive examination methods to heavy castings and forgings. Although the headquarters of the Society are in London—atDuncan House, Dolphin Square, S.W.I.—the policy is to hold a number of meetings in various industrial centres, andaccordingly the summer meeting will be held in Manchester, on July 15th. The hon. secretary of S.O.N.D.E. is Mr. C. C. Bates.
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