Nippi NP-100 Albatross
Nippi · Japan · first flew 1975 · light aircraft
The NP-100 Albatross was Japan's first motor glider, notable for driving a ducted fan buried in the fuselage instead of a visible propeller.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Air intakes on the fuselage sides feeding a hidden ducted fan |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing motor glider with no visible propeller
- Long, low canopy sliding rearward over side-by-side seats
- Air intakes on the fuselage sides feeding a hidden ducted fan
The absence of any propeller is the giveaway: air is drawn in through fuselage-side intakes and exhausted beneath the rear fuselage, driving a hidden four-blade wooden fan.
Specifications
- The Nippi NP-100 Albatross has a length of 8 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 18 m (59 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 160 km/h (99 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Design work began in late 1973 at Nihon Hikoki (Japan Aircraft Manufacturing), and the prototype first flew on 25 December 1975. Testing through 1976 prompted modifications and a redesignation as NP-100A, with further trials in 1978 to finalise the configuration.
Variants
Only the original NP-100 and the lightly revised NP-100A were built; the type never reached production.
Where you'll see it
The sole prototype never entered service and is preserved at the Kahaku Hirosawa Aviation Museum in Ibaraki, a static reminder of Japan's brief flirtation with ducted-fan glider propulsion.
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