Yesterday's Airlines
  • Home
  • About
  • My Fleets
    • My Hobby Room >
      • The Old Hobby Room
    • US Trunk Fleets >
      • My American Airlines Fleet
      • My Braniff Intnl Fleet
      • My Continental Fleet
      • My Delta Air Lines Fleet
      • My Eastern Air Lines Fleet
      • My National Airlines Fleet
      • My Northeast / Capital Fleet
      • My Northwest Airlines Fleet
      • My Pan Am Fleet
      • My TWA Fleet
      • My United Airlines Fleet
      • My Western Airlines Fleet
    • US Local Service Fleets >
      • My Frontier Airlines Fleet
      • My Hughes Airwest Fleet
      • My Ozark Airlines Fleet
      • My Republic Airlines Fleet
      • My Texas Int Fleet
    • US Other Fleets >
      • My Alaska Airlines Fleet
      • My Hawaiian / Aloha Fleet
      • My PSA Fleet
      • My Flying Tigers Fleet
      • My World Airways Fleet
    • UK Fleets >
      • My British Airways Fleet
    • Canadian Fleets
    • China Fleets >
      • My Cathay Pacific Fleet
    • Russian Fleet >
      • Russian Fleet Video
    • Fleet Videos >
      • US Trunk Airlines
    • Aviation Stickers >
      • ATR Stickers
      • A300 Stickers
      • DC-9 Stickers
      • DC-10 Stickers
  • Aviation Blogs
    • Airline History Blog
    • Model Blog
  • Airline Dev
    • CANADA >
      • Canadian Mainline
      • Canadian Charters & LCCs
      • Canadian Regionals
    • CHINA >
      • The Big Three
      • Hainan Airlines Group
      • Other Chinese Airlines
    • MEXICO >
      • 1988-2005: Competition arrives
      • 2005-2014: Low cost in Mexico
      • Mexican Airline Genealogy
      • Mexicana Livery Tails
    • RUSSIA >
      • Aeroflot Group
      • S7 Airlines & AiRUnion
      • Other Russian Airlines
    • SOUTH AFRICA
    • UNITED KINGDOM >
      • BA Genealogy Pt1
      • BA Genealogy Pt2
      • BA Genealogy Pt3
      • BUIA & BUAF Genealogies
      • UK Charter Airlines Pt1
      • UK Charter Airlines Pt2
      • BEA Liveries 1946-1974
      • BOAC Liveries 1939-1974
      • BA Liveries 1974-2015
    • UNITED STATES >
      • Trunk & Local Service Airlines >
        • American / TWA Genealogy
        • Delta / Northwest Genealogy
        • United / Continental Genealogy
        • Braniff / Eastern / US Airways Genealogy
      • Territorial Airlines
      • Intra-State Airlines
      • Supplemental Airlines
      • Deregulation Startups 1
      • Deregulation Startups 2
      • Trunk Airline Livery Changes 1959-1980
  • Airports
    • Dowse National Airport >
      • Gallery 1: Chicago c.1966
      • Gallery 2: Miami c.1970
    • Wright Field Municipal >
      • Wright Field Video Tour
    • Xin Long International
    • Imogenia Intnl 1/600 Scale
    • Real Airport Histories >
      • Albany International
      • Dallas Love Field
      • Rochester International Pt1
      • Rochester International Pt2
      • San Francisco - 1927-1959
      • San Francisco - 1959-1978
      • San Francisco - 1978-2015
      • San Jose International
      • San Jose International Pt2
  • Mould Reviews
    • Airbus >
      • Airbus A300
      • Airbus A310
      • Airbus A320
      • Airbus A330-200/300
      • Airbus A330-200F
      • Airbus A330 Beluga XL
    • Boeing >
      • Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser
      • Boeing 707-120/138/720
      • Boeing 707-320/420
      • Boeing 727-100
      • Boeing 727-200
      • Boeing 737-100/200
      • Boeing 737-300/400/500
      • Boeing 737NG
      • Boeing 747-100/200
      • Boeing 747SP
      • Boeing 757-200
      • Boeing 767-200
      • Boeing 767-300
      • Boeing 777-200
    • British >
      • BAC One-Eleven 200-500
      • BAE-146 / Avro RJ-85-100
      • De Havilland DH-106 Comet
      • Hawker Siddeley Trident
      • Shorts 360
      • Vickers VC10
      • Vickers Viscount
    • Douglas >
      • Douglas DC-3 / C-47
      • Douglas DC-6
      • Douglas DC-7
      • Douglas DC-7C
      • Douglas DC-8-10-50
      • Douglas DC-8-60s/70s
      • Douglas DC-9-10
      • Douglas DC-9
      • McDonnell Douglas DC-10
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-11
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-80
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-90
    • Lockheed >
      • Lockheed Constellation
      • Lockheed Super Connie
      • Lockheed L-1649 Starliner
      • Lockheed L-188 Electra
      • Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 1
      • Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 500
    • Other >
      • Convair CV-240-580
      • Convair CV-880/990
      • Curtiss C-46
      • Fairchild F-27 / Fokker F27
      • Fairchild-Hiller FH-227
      • SE 210 Caravelle
    • Russian >
      • Ilyushin IL-62
      • Ilyushin IL-86/IL-96
      • Tupolev TU-154B-2/M
  • Real As It Gets
    • Real As It Gets - 1/200
    • Real As It Gets - Africa
    • Real As It Gets - Asia
    • Real As It Gets - China
    • Real As It Gets - Europe
    • Real As It Gets - Middle East
    • Real As It Gets - N America
    • Real As It Gets - Oceania
    • Real As It Gets - Russia
    • Real As It Gets - S America
  • Links
Airline History Blog

Starting from Scratch: The NAMC YS-11

24/4/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
The YS-11 programme remains something of a controversial topic in its native Japan. Some see it as an epic adventure and fabulous idea, a monument to Japanese industrial policy; whereas others see it as a folly doomed to failure from the start. Regardless it is clear that the aircraft itself was capable and although it clearly never met the financial targets set for it it sold 182 aircraft, a decent number, and continued in service into the 2010s.
Picture
Hawaiian Airlines NAMC YS-11 N1145H Gemini Jets 1:400 Scale Model Airliner
Japan came out of the Second World War a shattered and humbled nation. It is a testament to the country that they were able to field an effective and efficient civil airliner as early as the 1960s given that the Allied occupation of the country didn't end until 1952. The Japan of the 1950s was a far cry from the high-tech manufacturing powerhouse of the 1980s, but some dreamt of a day when the Japanese aviation industry could regain its former status.
Picture
YS-11 prototype JA8611 (Japan, Chiba, Museum of Aeronautical Sciences) in 2009
Picture
One of these dreamers was Akazawa Shoichi, the director of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Ordnance division. He was a veteran of WW2 and agreed with Japan's approach of pushing the economy towards high value economic areas such as steel and aircraft production. Civil aviation was the pinnacle of an advanced nation's manufacturing, whilst benefits accrued through the programme would drip down to other areas of the economy especially the military. Akazawa worked his way through protracted negotiations and in March 1959 the special corporation the Nihon Aeroplane Manufacturing Co (NAMCO) was founded. This was a conglomerate of separate organisation's executives and designers with a 54% share under government ownership. The artificial nature of NAMCO as a company would lead to a host of obstacles - not the least of which was that NAMCO had no facilities of its own for manufacturing, or a permanent staff.
Although several legendary wartime designers (like Horikoshi Jiro who designed the Zero) were included in the design process Japan had almost no history of designing civilian airliners and even if it had it was obsolete. Instead the YS-11 was designed by heavily leaning on existing foreign technology, copied from various sources and airshow visits, benchmarking and incorporation of foreign technology into the airframe. The cabin pressurisation system for example was a direct copy of US equipment. Information was funneled through Japan's reborn airlines, diplomatic missions, industry journals and lots of photographs back to the design team.
Often it seems the Japanese designers harked back to old style traditional Japanese mentalities. An entertaining story for example was that initially the designers didn't include any toilets on the aircraft. The airlines were incredulous but the designers thought the passengers could just wait it out as the plane was already full with seats!
Picture
Even so the resulting aircraft was competent and broadly on schedule when it flew for the first time in August 1962. It was not groundbreaking in anyway, and shared a general plan and Rolls Royce Dart engines with the competing Avro 748, but it worked. Mistakes were made and gradually this slowed down the movement into full production. For example omitting in foreign sales contracts to mention anything about the propellers because the contract that had been copied was for 727s with jet engines.
Picture
Picture
Then again the programme adopted early on American Civil Air Regulations and FAA review, which no doubt assisted it in the international market. Gradually some international orders came in, 4 to Phillipine Airlines for example, though in this case the aircraft were included in war reparations.
The USA was an irresistible target for sales but also an unlikely one. US airlines rarely looked outside of the US for aircraft unless they had no other option, and the political ramifications of buying foreign had scuppered several deals. Nevertheless despite the aircraft design's age the NAMC YS-11 broke into the US market.
Picture
The first success was a 1966 lease agreement with Hawaiian Airlines for them to take 3 aircraft. The agreement had a let to buy clause, but in the end this was not actioned. The three aircraft were returned after nearly two years of operations in October 1968. Nonetheless this was not due to any failings with the aircraft and more to do with Hawaiian's pending delivery of new DC-9-32s. The big breakthrough of course was the April 1967 deal with Piedmont Airlines. We'll discuss this further in the next blog entry.
Picture
In the end Piedmont remained the largest export customer and 75 YS-11s were sold abroad to 19 customers in 15 countries. Bearing in mind the obstacles overcome, competition and size of the relative market in the 60s this was a decent return for a fledgling aircraft and manufacturer. Unfortunately it was not a financially successful one. To achieve these sales pricing and payment terms had to undercut rivals. NAMCO itself guaranteed manufacturers a profit to build the aircraft and assumed all risk and debt. This along with a tendency to run the programme like a military one did not introduce an environment of cost efficiency.
Picture
A JASDF YS-11 in 2011
The programme ended in 1971 when the dollar's fixed exchange rate to the Yen was ended by Nixon. It had been a financal failure, which was hardly unexpected, but had provided a wealth of experience to Japanese industry and produced a worthwhile aircraft. Of the 182 built 112 were still in service in 1994 and a handful survived into 2011. NAMCO continued on until 1982, by which time its losses were more than 4 times its capitalisation (at over $36 million). Even though NAMCO was disbanded the Japanese aviation industry has seen a massive increase in its market share, mainly as a components manufacturer, and a lot of this must surely go down to the YS-11 project. The aircraft was a technical triumph but a managerial and financial failure.
References

1995. Mercado, S. The YS-11 Project and Japan's Aerospace Potential. Japan olicy Research Institute
1996. Samuels, R. Rich Nation, Strong Army": National Security and the Technological Transformation of Japan. Cornell University Press
1 Comment
Ultimo Tiger link
25/4/2017 10:36:29 am

I'm not sure about civilian operaters, but the Japan Air Self Defense Force sill operates a number of YS-11s as of 2017 (according to http://www.j-hangarspace.jp).

These include electronic warfare, cargo and "flight check" variants:

http://www.j-hangarspace.jp/jasdf-order-of-battle

Looks like all the JMSDF and Coast Guard ones have gone the way of the Dodo. Shame but I'm glad a few are soldiering on!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I'm Richard Stretton: a fan of classic airliners and airlines who enjoys exploring their history through my collection of die-cast airliners. If you enjoy the site please donate whatever you can to help keep it running:


    RSS Feed


    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All
    2015 Review
    2016 Review
    2017 Review
    Aeroclassics
    Aero Continente
    African Airlines
    Airbus A300
    Airbus A310
    Airbus A319
    Airbus A320
    Airbus A321
    Airbus A330
    Airbus A340
    Airbus A350
    Airbus A380
    Air China
    Air India
    Airlines Of Africa
    Airlines Of Asia
    Airlines Of Australasia
    Airlines Of C America
    Airlines Of Canada
    Airlines Of China
    Airlines Of Europe
    Airlines Of France
    Airlines Of Mexico
    Airlines Of Middle East
    Airlines Of Russia
    Airlines Of S America
    Airlines Of The UK
    Airlines Of The USA
    Alaska Airlines
    Aloha Airlines
    American Airlines
    America West Airlines
    Antonov AN-124
    Apollo
    ATR-72
    Aurora Models
    Austrian Airlines
    AVIACSA
    BAC One-Eleven
    Big Bird
    Blue Box
    Boeing 707
    Boeing 717
    Boeing 720
    Boeing 727
    Boeing 737
    Boeing 747
    Boeing 757
    Boeing 767
    Boeing 777
    Boeing 787
    Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser
    Braniff International
    Bristol Britannia
    British Aerospace BAE-146
    British Airways
    British European (BEA)
    Canadair C-4 North Star
    Canadian Pacific
    Capital Airlines
    Cathay Pacific
    Central American Airlines
    Chicago & Southern
    China Eastern
    China Southern
    Compass Airlines
    Concorde
    Continental Airlines
    Convair 240
    Convair 440
    Convair 580
    Convair 880
    Convair 990
    Curtiss C-46 Commando
    Delta Air Lines
    DH-106 Comet 4
    Douglas DC-3
    Douglas DC-4
    Douglas DC-6
    Douglas DC-7
    Douglas DC-7C
    Douglas DC-8
    Douglas DC-9
    Dragonair
    Dragon Wings
    Eastern Air Lines
    Egyptair
    Embraer 190
    Embraer ERJ-145
    Emirates
    Fairchild F-27
    Fairchild FH-227
    Fokker 50
    Fokker F100
    Fokker F27
    Fokker F28
    Freighters
    Gemini Jets
    Hainan Airlines
    Handley Page Herald
    Herpa
    HS-748
    HS Trident
    Ilyushin IL-62
    Ilyushin IL-76
    Ilyushin IL-86
    Ilyushin IL-96
    Interflug
    JC Wings
    Jet X
    Jet-X
    Lockheed Constellation
    Lockheed Hercules
    Lockheed L-1011 Tristar
    Lockheed L-188 Electra
    Lufthansa
    Magic Models
    MD-11
    MD-80
    MD-90
    MDD DC-10
    Mexicana
    Minerve
    NAMC YS-11
    National Airlines
    Northwest Airlines
    Oasis Hong Kong
    Oceania Airlines
    Ozark Air Lines
    Panagra
    Pan Am
    Panda Models
    Phoenix Models
    Piedmont Airlines
    Royal Jordanian
    SE-210 Caravelle
    Shorts-360
    Sichuan Airlines
    Trans-world-airlines-twa
    Trans-world-airlines-twa
    Tupolev TU-144
    Tupolev TU-154
    United Airlines
    USAir
    Vickers VC10
    Vickers Viscount
    Western Airlines
    Witty Wings

  • Home
  • About
  • My Fleets
    • My Hobby Room >
      • The Old Hobby Room
    • US Trunk Fleets >
      • My American Airlines Fleet
      • My Braniff Intnl Fleet
      • My Continental Fleet
      • My Delta Air Lines Fleet
      • My Eastern Air Lines Fleet
      • My National Airlines Fleet
      • My Northeast / Capital Fleet
      • My Northwest Airlines Fleet
      • My Pan Am Fleet
      • My TWA Fleet
      • My United Airlines Fleet
      • My Western Airlines Fleet
    • US Local Service Fleets >
      • My Frontier Airlines Fleet
      • My Hughes Airwest Fleet
      • My Ozark Airlines Fleet
      • My Republic Airlines Fleet
      • My Texas Int Fleet
    • US Other Fleets >
      • My Alaska Airlines Fleet
      • My Hawaiian / Aloha Fleet
      • My PSA Fleet
      • My Flying Tigers Fleet
      • My World Airways Fleet
    • UK Fleets >
      • My British Airways Fleet
    • Canadian Fleets
    • China Fleets >
      • My Cathay Pacific Fleet
    • Russian Fleet >
      • Russian Fleet Video
    • Fleet Videos >
      • US Trunk Airlines
    • Aviation Stickers >
      • ATR Stickers
      • A300 Stickers
      • DC-9 Stickers
      • DC-10 Stickers
  • Aviation Blogs
    • Airline History Blog
    • Model Blog
  • Airline Dev
    • CANADA >
      • Canadian Mainline
      • Canadian Charters & LCCs
      • Canadian Regionals
    • CHINA >
      • The Big Three
      • Hainan Airlines Group
      • Other Chinese Airlines
    • MEXICO >
      • 1988-2005: Competition arrives
      • 2005-2014: Low cost in Mexico
      • Mexican Airline Genealogy
      • Mexicana Livery Tails
    • RUSSIA >
      • Aeroflot Group
      • S7 Airlines & AiRUnion
      • Other Russian Airlines
    • SOUTH AFRICA
    • UNITED KINGDOM >
      • BA Genealogy Pt1
      • BA Genealogy Pt2
      • BA Genealogy Pt3
      • BUIA & BUAF Genealogies
      • UK Charter Airlines Pt1
      • UK Charter Airlines Pt2
      • BEA Liveries 1946-1974
      • BOAC Liveries 1939-1974
      • BA Liveries 1974-2015
    • UNITED STATES >
      • Trunk & Local Service Airlines >
        • American / TWA Genealogy
        • Delta / Northwest Genealogy
        • United / Continental Genealogy
        • Braniff / Eastern / US Airways Genealogy
      • Territorial Airlines
      • Intra-State Airlines
      • Supplemental Airlines
      • Deregulation Startups 1
      • Deregulation Startups 2
      • Trunk Airline Livery Changes 1959-1980
  • Airports
    • Dowse National Airport >
      • Gallery 1: Chicago c.1966
      • Gallery 2: Miami c.1970
    • Wright Field Municipal >
      • Wright Field Video Tour
    • Xin Long International
    • Imogenia Intnl 1/600 Scale
    • Real Airport Histories >
      • Albany International
      • Dallas Love Field
      • Rochester International Pt1
      • Rochester International Pt2
      • San Francisco - 1927-1959
      • San Francisco - 1959-1978
      • San Francisco - 1978-2015
      • San Jose International
      • San Jose International Pt2
  • Mould Reviews
    • Airbus >
      • Airbus A300
      • Airbus A310
      • Airbus A320
      • Airbus A330-200/300
      • Airbus A330-200F
      • Airbus A330 Beluga XL
    • Boeing >
      • Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser
      • Boeing 707-120/138/720
      • Boeing 707-320/420
      • Boeing 727-100
      • Boeing 727-200
      • Boeing 737-100/200
      • Boeing 737-300/400/500
      • Boeing 737NG
      • Boeing 747-100/200
      • Boeing 747SP
      • Boeing 757-200
      • Boeing 767-200
      • Boeing 767-300
      • Boeing 777-200
    • British >
      • BAC One-Eleven 200-500
      • BAE-146 / Avro RJ-85-100
      • De Havilland DH-106 Comet
      • Hawker Siddeley Trident
      • Shorts 360
      • Vickers VC10
      • Vickers Viscount
    • Douglas >
      • Douglas DC-3 / C-47
      • Douglas DC-6
      • Douglas DC-7
      • Douglas DC-7C
      • Douglas DC-8-10-50
      • Douglas DC-8-60s/70s
      • Douglas DC-9-10
      • Douglas DC-9
      • McDonnell Douglas DC-10
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-11
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-80
      • McDonnell Douglas MD-90
    • Lockheed >
      • Lockheed Constellation
      • Lockheed Super Connie
      • Lockheed L-1649 Starliner
      • Lockheed L-188 Electra
      • Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 1
      • Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 500
    • Other >
      • Convair CV-240-580
      • Convair CV-880/990
      • Curtiss C-46
      • Fairchild F-27 / Fokker F27
      • Fairchild-Hiller FH-227
      • SE 210 Caravelle
    • Russian >
      • Ilyushin IL-62
      • Ilyushin IL-86/IL-96
      • Tupolev TU-154B-2/M
  • Real As It Gets
    • Real As It Gets - 1/200
    • Real As It Gets - Africa
    • Real As It Gets - Asia
    • Real As It Gets - China
    • Real As It Gets - Europe
    • Real As It Gets - Middle East
    • Real As It Gets - N America
    • Real As It Gets - Oceania
    • Real As It Gets - Russia
    • Real As It Gets - S America
  • Links