US-1A
ShinMaywa · Japan · first flew 1974 · transport aircraft
The ShinMaywa US-1A is a large four-engined amphibious flying boat built for long-range air-sea rescue over the Pacific.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 33.46 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Large four-turboprop flying boat
- Deep planing hull with wingtip floats
- High straight wing and tall fin
Identify it by the deep boat hull, high straight wing carrying four turboprops, fixed wingtip floats and a tall single fin.
Specifications
- The US-1A has a length of 33.46 m (110 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 33.15 m (109 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 511 km/h (318 mph).
- Typical crew: 9.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Derived from the PS-1 anti-submarine flying boat, the amphibious US-1 first flew in 1974 and the re-engined US-1A entered service in 1980. It uses powerful boundary-layer control to achieve remarkable short-water performance.
Variants
The US-1A improved on the original US-1 with more powerful T64 turboprops, and it was later succeeded by the much-modernised US-2 with a pressurised hull and glass cockpit. All share the deep-hulled, high-wing amphibian layout.
Where you'll see it
It serves the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the search-and-rescue role; the RAF retired its own flying-boat capability decades earlier and operates no direct equivalent.
Related aircraft
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