Asuka QSTOL

Kawasaki / TRDI · Japan · first flew 1985 · transport aircraft

The Asuka (formally QSTOL, Quiet Short Take-Off and Landing) was a Japanese experimental aircraft developed by Kawasaki and the Technical Research and Development Institute to investigate upper-surface blowing technology for short-field operations.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × turbofan, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	29 m fuselage
T — Tail	T-tail

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Spot it by:

Four-engine Japanese STOL research aircraft with upper-surface blowing
T-tail configuration and high-wing layout for STOL performance research
Closely resembles C-1 transport; modified with USB flaps and additional engines

Resembles a C-1 transport but with four engines mounted close to and above the wing leading edge, a T-tail, and enlarged trailing-edge flaps; the upper-surface blowing nozzles are the key visual clue.

Specifications

The Asuka QSTOL has a length of 29 m (95 ft).
It has a wingspan of 30.6 m (100 ft).
Its maximum speed is 700 km/h (435 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Based on a modified Kawasaki C-1 transport airframe, the Asuka was fitted with four Ishikawajima-Harima (IHI) FJR710 turbofan engines exhausting over the upper surface of the wing to dramatically increase lift through powered lift augmentation. It first flew in 1985 and conducted extensive flight research at Gifu Air Base through the 1980s and 1990s, providing valuable data on STOL technology that informed later Japanese transport development.

Variants

The Asuka was a unique one-off experimental aircraft; no production variant was developed.

Where you'll see it

Operated solely by the Japanese TRDI for research; did not enter operational service.

Related aircraft

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