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Further Reading

US-1A-Rev / US-X / US-1A Kai / US-2 Flying Boat

Upgrade of original design (as US-1AKai) began 1 November 1996, and was redesignated US-2 in late 2004. ShinMaywa US-2 is a large STOL aircraft designed for air-sea rescue (SAR) work. The US-2 is operated by Japan Self Defense Force. The US-2 is a successor to the MSDF US-1A for search and rescue missions. Work on the US-1A Kai upgrade started in 1996, as there were not enough funds to develop a completely new amphibian (US-X). ShinMaywa had been hoping to follow on from the US-1A with the development of a completely new design of amphibian, the US-X. The project was subsequently ditched in favor of Japan Defence Agency (JDA) funding for an improved version of the existing type. The planned ´66 billion ($570 million) program was initiated in 1996 and is scheduled to take eight years to complete. Defence Agency proceeded with the development of the next rescue flying boat "US-1A-Rev".

ShinMaywa Industries (President: Jushi Ide) will remodel the STOL amphibian "US-1A Kai", the prototype of which was completed in spring 2004, into a fire-fighting amphibian for export to overseas markets. ShinMaywa had been developing the "US-1A Kai" STOL Amphibian since 1996, based on the "US-1A" STOL Search and Rescue Amphibian in service with Japan's Self-Defense Forces. The first prototype of the "US-1A Kai" successfully completed its first flight on December 18, 2003. It was delivered to the Defense Agency on March 24, 2004, and the Agency would repeat flight tests until 2007.

The following five are the focus of the development of the "US-1A Kai"

• Computerized Fly-By-Wire flight control system
• Introduction of a pressurized cabin
• Replacement of main engine (Power increased)
• Integrated instrument panel (Glass cockpit)
• Weight saving structural components such as main wing, spray suppressor and wing tip float

The "US-1A Kai" is equipped with the BLC like the "US-1A" and is the only ultra STOL amphibian in the world that can take off and land on the ocean with three-meter wave height and fly at low altitude at ultra low speed. As the flight control system is changed to FBW, it now exerts outstanding operational performance. The "US-1A Kai" has been remodeled as a fire-fighting flying boat and is equipped with a 15-ton water tank. It takes water from the sea, lakes, and rivers and discharge water to extinguish fires by opening and closing the tank door under computer control. Fire-fighting at the earliest stage is the most important. The fire-fighting aircraft flies six hours with 15 tons of water. It makes the most of its strengths in surveillance flights and fire-fighting at an early stage. Although the market for the flying boat is a niche, we expect demand for 200 aircraft during the coming ten years for a wide variety of purposes like search and rescue, fire-fighting, passenger transport, cargo transport, and oceanographic observation.

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd. President Tadashi Kaneki announced that on April 19, 2007 it entered into full-scale production of its first mass-produced model US-2 STOL Search and Rescue Amphibians to fulfill an order placed by the Ministry of Defense of Japan.

Developed as a successor to US-1A STOL Search and Rescue Amphibians, which are currently operated by the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the US-2 is an STOL Amphibian that incorporates Japan's own proprietary technologies. Having been nominated by the Defense Agency of Japan (now the Ministry of Defense) as a main contractor, we started development of STOL amphibians in 1996. Following a successful first flight on December 18, 2003, the first prototype was delivered in March 2004, followed by the second prototype in December of that same year. After the technical / service test of the first two models that lasted roughly three years at the Iwakuni Air Base of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the amphibian was officially fielded by the Self-Defense Force this March for a continued operational test to be implemented.

Following the signing of a contract in fiscal 2005, ShinMaywa made preparations for full-scale production of this first mass-produced model by arranging materials and manufacturing components. When assembly of the hull had begun, ShinMaywa embarked on a full-scale production of the aircraft.

Capable of taking off and landing on the ocean surface, the US-1A STOL Search and Rescue Amphibian, which is currently in use, has been in operation mainly for rescuing casualties at sea and/or transporting emergency patients in remote islands with no airport, and has been dispatched a total of 785 times to save 767 lives as of March 31, 2007.

In order to enhance its integrity, the design was partially modified based on the results of the technical / service test by the Ministry of Defense. In order to further advance its performance, the US-2 has undergone remodeling work which has incorporated extensive new technologies with focus on improving: 1. its search and rescue capabilities at sea, 2. maneuverability when taking off/landing on water, and 3. patient transport conditions. The result is improved marine search and rescue performance and increased comfort for accident victims and emergency patients during transportation.

Delivery of the US-2 to the Ministry of Defense was scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2009.