The NAMC YS-11 was Japan’s first step into post-war airliner production. David Ransted reveals that despite its disappointing sales, the turboprop was a robust and long-lasting design
In 1956, Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) began evaluating the feasibility of building a civil airliner. This goal had been the dream of the country’s major manufacturers since the Allies had permitted Japan to resume domestic civil aircraft production four years earlier. However, at the time, no company had the resources to undertake the task alone.
In 1957, the Japanese government took the initiative, simultaneously granting a subsidy for the aircraft’s development and instructing six leading manufacturers with aerospace experience to combine their efforts (see Responsibilities). Fuji, Japan Aircraft, Kawasaki, Mitsubishi, Shin Meiwa and Showa Aircraft each shouldered responsibility for production elements, while Mitsubishi carried out the final assembly.
Development work gained momentum and, on December 11, 1958, TADA revealed a mock-up of the aircraft to the public.
Initially, the government had created the Transport Aircraft Development Association (TADA), a partly private organisation, to …
