The Shin Meiwa PS-1 and US-1A is and aircraft designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and air-sea rescue (SAR) work respectively by Japanese aircraft manufacturer Shin Meiwa. The PS-1 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant is a flying boat which carried its own beaching gear on board, while the search-and-rescue (SAR) orientated US-1A is a true amphibian. It is powered by 4 3,500 ESHP T64 engines with props. It has a unique wing with a blown flap design and for that purpose it has a 250 hp T58 auxiliary engine. It is able to fly quite slow.
Development of the PS-1 has its origins in flying boat research performed by the Shin Meiwa during the 1950s. The company, believing that their design was capable of regular use upon the open sea, petitioned the Japanese military to acquire the type as a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). A converted Grumman HU-16 Albatross testbed aircraft, referred to as the UF-XS was used during development. Eventually, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) from 1966 placed the first order for an eventual fleet of 21 ASW aircraft, designated PS-1. Orders for the SAR variant, designated US-1A, were also issued during the 1970s.
Just some 43 were manufactured. (A new version developed is the US-2).
Some data: wingspan 33,2 m. length 33,5 m; MTOW 45,000 kg. Max speed 490 km/hr. Crew of 12.
Shin Meiwa US-1
This US-1A coded 9078 is a rescue SAR aircraft. It was assigned to the JMSDF no 71 squadron based at Iwakuni. It was seen outside on display at the Gifu Kakamigahara Air and Space museum at Nagoya, Japan.
Photographed March 2024 by Meindert de Vreeze (c) Copyright!
Plastic scale models of the US-1 and PS-1 in 1/72 are from Hasegawa (with a later better release 02094).
This walk around page was first published September 2024 by M. de Vreeze; note the Copyright!