Posted on 06/04/2007 7:55:29 AM PDT by Freeport
First flights of Japan’s indigenously-developed C-X transport and P-X maritime patrol aircraft appear to be drawing closer, with images of the first completed prototypes having been released by the defence ministry’s Technical Research and Development Institute.
Led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the approximately $2.8 billion C-X/P-X project is intended to deliver replacements for Tokyo’s current air force fleet of Kawasaki C-1 airlifters and initially part of the navy's current inventory of Kawasaki/Lockheed Martin P-3 MPA.
Japan's TRDI has meanwhile conducted test flights of a C-1 testbed modified to carry an Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries XF7 engine which will be used to power both the twin-engine C-X and four-engine P-X, which KHI also hopes to respectively use as the basis for a commercial freighter and regional airliner.
Tokyo had planned to roll out its first prototype aircraft earlier this year, but delayed the ceremony following the discovery of a production fault with all eight development aircraft.
Both look circa 1970.
How many MPG do they get?...........
Those are rearry rice!
That’s not quite a ‘rising sun’.
It’s more of a ‘meatball’.
Actually, the transport looks like twin-engine version of the normally 4-engine Bae-146 regional jet.
More like an Orion/Convair 990/880 cross.
in time.
I think the Science Patrol was flying these back in the '60s...
THE Japanese are very good at taking “others” technology and making it better than before, and they are getting better at coming up with their own but aside from that these look like very rock solid designs nothing to adventurous just good solid design. I’m just glad they are on our side!
Thanks for saying that. The snark level was rising rapidly on this thread! Yeah, they may not look like ground-breaking aircraft, but they do indeed look very solid.
Nose, wingbox joint, and landing gear bay are all different. Though I do like the BAE; I've ridden in them and they're nice for a small jet.
Good Points
I am concerned at the comments here that tend to denigrate the Japanese.....they are still our FRiends, last I heard.
Yet the naval recon aircraft has green bands on it’s engines while the army support cargo aircraft has blue bands. Skillful deception and camouflage by JDSF.
The transport in particular I like, the C-17 style high tail with the down/back swept wings. In military livery, this dropping down on top of you to disembark troops and supplies would be very intimidating. It also has two really big-looking engines to push it around. Very lithe for a military transport.
The “buttocks” region of the C-X transport aircraft is spookily similar to that of the C5 Galaxy.
Thunderbirds are GO!
I think Godzilla is coming ashore to find his soulmate (Hillary).
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