Hasegawa 02260 Shinmeiwa SS-2`Rescue Flyingboat`

The Shin Meiwa PS-1 is a modern Japanese flying boat. The first prototypes of the machine were created in 1967, and serial production continued in the years 1969-1989, ending with the production of about 40 examples of this aircraft of all versions. The drive is provided by four turboprop engines Ishikawajima 10J . The aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 550 km / h. The machine has no fixed armament.

Shin Meiwa PS-1 was commissioned by the Japanese Air Force, which in the early 1960s reported a need for a completely new flying boat capable of ZOP (anti-submarine combat) and open-ocean rescue operations. The PS-1 machine is characterized by high reliability, limited short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities, but also with extensive electronics, including a modern search radar or magnetic anomaly detector. In the course of serial production, two development versions of the Shin Meiwa PS-1 machine were created. The first one was designated as US-1 - it entered mass production in 1975 and is a passenger version capable of carrying up to 69 people. On the other hand, in 2003, the US-1A version was tested, which is also a passenger version, but has full STOL capabilities. In 1989, the PS-1 version was withdrawn from the line, at the beginning of the 21st century - the US-1 version, and by 2017 all US-1A aircraft were withdrawn. Shin Meiwa PS-1 machines and US-1 and US-1A versions were used exclusively by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.