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32-726: ShinMaywa, headquartered in Takarazuka , Hyōgo Prefecture , is perhaps best known for its seaplanes, such as the Shin Meiwa US-1A amphibian, and its upgraded form, the ShinMaywa US-2 . The company has also been involved in the international supply chain of aircraft manufacturers such as American Boeing corporation. Following the end of the Second World War and the start of the Occupation of Japan ,

64-520: A US Military STOL transport requirement, while Design #487C was a 90-seat commercial STOL airliner version aimed in particular at American Airlines . Takarazuka, Hy%C5%8Dgo Takarazuka ( 宝塚市 , Takarazuka-shi ) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture , Japan . As of 1 February 2024 , the city had an estimated population of 221,846 in 96,729 households and a population density of 2,200 persons per km². The total area of

96-778: A ban on aircraft manufacturing imposed during December 1945 required Japan's aircraft industry to find other work. During the late 1940s, Japanese aircraft manufacturer Kawanishi Aircraft Company reorganised itself, becoming Shin Meiwa Industries. During the 1950s, the emergence of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union led to the aircraft construction ban being rescinded; Shin Meiwa, which had turned to heavy machinery and engine manufacturing for

128-533: A contract to further develop its design to produce a patrol aircraft capable of the ASW mission; accordingly, two further prototypes were constructed under the designation PS-X . In addition to Shin Meiwa, other Japanese companies, such as Fuji Heavy Industries and NIPPI Corporation , also played major roles in the PS-X's development. The adaptions resulted in significant seaworthiness improvements; during tests conducted in

160-488: A greater scope. During the early 1950s, Kawanishi had formed a committee headed by Kikuhara which was tasked with developing seaplane designs that would feature greater seaworthiness. Unlike most seaplanes, they held the ambitious aim of producing an aircraft that could land upon rough seas and encounter little impact from waves and spray. By 1959, the committee felt that it had developed an appropriate design to meet its specification. Two years later, Kikuhara, who now headed up

192-712: Is a transfer station to the Nose Railway , which runs primarily within Kawanishi. [REDACTED] JR West - Fukuchiyama Line [REDACTED] Hankyu - Takarazuka Main Line [REDACTED] Hankyu - Imazu Line Takarazuka is twinned with: Kii Channel The Kii Channel ( 紀伊水道 , Kii-suidō ) , also called the Kii Strait , is a strait separating the Japanese island of Shikoku from

224-512: The Great Hanshin earthquake caused more than 100 casualties. Takarazuka was designated as a Special City on April 1, 2003 with increased autonomy. At one time, the idea was raised of merging Takarazuka with Itami , Kawanishi , and Inagawa , but it is currently on hold. Takarazuka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Takarazuka contributes three members to

256-593: The Kii Channel during 1968, the PS-X successfully landed amid formidable four-meter waves, despite these being in excess of its design goal of three meters. Having been suitably impressed, during 1969, the JMSDF issued a production order for a batch of 21 aircraft, which were given the designation PS-1 , to meet its ASW requirement. In spite of its demonstrated performance, the project was not without its critics. The capability of contemporary sonar units meant that it

288-651: The Kii Peninsula on the main island of Honshū . This strait connects the Inland Sea with the Pacific Ocean . The name of the strait derives from Kii Province , a former province on the Kii Peninsula. The strait is surrounded by Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku, Wakayama Prefecture on Honshū, and the southern coast of Awaji Island in Hyōgo Prefecture . It is connected to Osaka Bay via

320-669: The Kitan Strait and to Harima Nada (the eastern part of the Inland Sea) by the Naruto Strait . Western maps from the 19th century also refer to this waterway as the Linschoten Strait . This Hyōgo Prefecture location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Tokushima location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Wakayama location article

352-660: The Shin Meiwa LA (Light Amphibian), a 40-passenger light amphibian for inter-island feeder service; the 400 passenger Shin Meiwa MA (Medium Amphibian); the Shin Meiwa MS (Medium Seaplane) a 300 passenger long range flying boat with its own beaching gear; and the gargantuan Shin Meiwa GS (Giant Seaplane) that has a passenger capacity of an astonishing twelve-hundred (1200) passengers seated on three decks. Unlike

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384-507: The ShinMaywa US-2 . Modifications (Tokushima Plant) Examples: The company is one of five major Japanese companies contracted to build parts for Boeing's 777X aircraft , specifically the fairings that connect the wings to the fuselage. ShinMaywa also produces wing spars for the Boeing 787 . In 1977, Shin Meiwa revealed several ideas that it had on the drawing board for STOL flying boats, however, none of these were ever built. They were

416-487: The Albatross's two 1,425 hp (1,063 kW) Wright R-1820 radial engines were supplemented by two 600 hp (450 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engines on the aircraft's wings, with an additional 1,250 shp (930 kW) General Electric T58 turboshaft inside the aircraft's hull to drive the boundary layer control system. The UF-XS also featured a new T-tail arrangement which resembled that of

448-665: The Hyōgo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Hyōgo 6th districts of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Takarazuka has a mixed economy of commerce, manufacturing and market gardening. It is increasingly becoming a bedroom community for Osaka and Kobe , with quiet, upscale residential neighborhoods like Nigawa, Obayashi, Sakasegawa, and Hibarigaoka. Takazuka has 23 public elementary schools and 12 public middle schools operated by

480-648: The P5M2 Marlin. From 1962 onwards, the UF-XS performed numerous test flights, demonstrating the improved features which enabled a flying boat to both land and take-off from the open ocean; these tests were closely followed and critiqued by the Japanese military. Over time, the UF-XS continued to be modified to improve its stability and other key performance criteria. In 1966, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) awarded Shin Meiwa

512-511: The PS-1, was cancelled in September 1980. This was because land based aircraft (i.e. P-3C ) seemed to have alleviated the need for more seaplanes for Anti-Submarine Warfare . There were at least two unfulfilled spin-offs of the PS-1 at one stage underway. These (landplane) designs were Design #487 and Design #487C , part of a joint program of the 1970s with Grumman . Design #487 was aimed at

544-705: The Shin Meiwa LA and MA which were like the US-1 in design the Shin Meiwa MS and GS had its engines located in front of and above the wing like the USAF Boeing YC-14 to give STOL effect. In the end, none of the four designs got beyond the drawing boards. Also during the late 1970s, Shin Meiwa were working on a successor for the PS-1 ASW seaplane, however the program, along with further orders for

576-434: The aircraft, such as its hydraulics and engine control systems; it successfully exported its roll dampening technology to multiple aircraft companies. The PS-1 had not been in service long before the JMSDF requested the development of a search-and-rescue (SAR) variant. Shin Meiwa, being keen to pursue the aircraft's development, embarked upon fulfilling this request. By deleting much of the PS-1's military equipment, room

608-731: The area. Takarazuka onsen is mentioned in Kamakura period records. In the Muromachi period , Kohama town developed as a temple town for Kōshō-ji, and subsequently Kohama Inn was established as a post station on Arima Road. The area was mostly tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo Period . The village of Kohama (小浜村) was established on April 1, 1889 within Kawabe District, Hyōgo , with

640-631: The city government, and five public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Board of Education. There are three private elementary schools, two private middle schools and two private high schools. In addition, the prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped. Kawanishi is serviced by the JR Takarazuka Line and the Hankyu Takarazuka Line . Hankyu's Kawanishi-Noseguchi Station

672-687: The city is 101.80 square kilometres (39.31 sq mi). Known as the "inner parlor" of Kansai , Takarazuka is famous for the Takarazuka Revue , hot springs, and the Takarazuka Tourism Fireworks Display held since 1913. It is also famous as a choice residential area along with Ashiya and Nishinomiya . Takarazuka is located in the northern part of the Hanshin area, surrounded by the Rokko Range to

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704-562: The company's Amphibian Development Division, was lobbying the Japanese Defense Agency to consider the adoption of a flying boat to meet the nation's requirement for an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) patrol aircraft . Shin Meiwa stated that they would produce a specialised design to undertake the ASW mission. Crucial support came from the US Navy, who were keen to see Japan's ASW capabilities expand to help track and contain

736-593: The creation of the modern municipalities system. In 1897, Hankaku Railroad (current Fukuchiyama Line ) completed. In 1910, the Minoh Arima Electric Railway (current Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line completed). Takarazuka was a center of the culture from the 1910s to 1940s in what has been dubbed the age of Hanshinkan Modernism . This included the opening of the Takarazuka Girls' Opera (current Takarazuka Revue ) on April 1, 1914. Kohama

768-621: The growing Soviet submarine presence in the Pacific. To minimize costs and to support the development of the company's ideas, the Americans provided a single Grumman HU-16 Albatross flying boat, which was modified into a flying testbed aircraft, referred to as the UF-XS . The experimental flying boat featured numerous adaptations, including a novel boundary layer control system to provide enhanced Short Takeoff/Landing (STOL) performance, while

800-560: The intervening years, decided to resurrect their old aircraft works. Initially, the company focused on smaller efforts, such as subcontracting work, the production of drop tanks , and performing airframe overhauls of both Japanese and American aircraft, such as the US Navy 's Martin P5M Marlin flying boats. However, senior figures, such as chief aircraft designer Shizo Kikuhara and founder Ryuzo Kawanishi were keen to pursue projects of

832-631: The name would be easier to pronounce for non-Japanese speakers) set about planning to produce an upgraded version of the US-1A, initially referred to as the US-1A kai ( US-1A 改 - "improved US-1A"). This aircraft features numerous aerodynamic refinements and modernised systems, along with a pressurised hull, and the adoption of more powerful Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engines. Flight tests of the new variant began on 18 December 2003. The JMSDF has chosen to purchase up to 14 of these aircraft, which has entered service as

864-563: The population of Takarazuka has been increasing steadily since the 1950s. The area of Takarazuka was part of ancient Settsu Province and has been inhabited since ancient times, with many kofun burial mounds found within the city limits. The Mefu Jinja dates from the Nara period . From the Heian period , numerous landed estates shōen controlled by the Fujiwara family were developed in

896-817: The west and the Nagao mountain range to the north, with the Muko River flowing through the center. Hyōgo Prefecture Takarazuka has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa ) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Takarazuka is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1578 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 25.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.6 °C. Per Japanese census data,

928-543: Was accepted into service during the following year, and eventually 19 aircraft were purchased. From the seventh aircraft on, an uprated version of the original engine was used, all aircraft were eventually modified to this US-1A standard. During the 1990s, by which point the US-1A fleet was beginning to show its age, the JMSDF attempted to obtain funding towards acquiring a replacement, but could not secure enough to develop an entirely new aircraft. Therefore, during 1995, ShinMaywa (as Shin Meiwa had been renamed, reportedly so that

960-477: Was elevated to town status on March 15, 1951, changing its name to Takarazuka. On April 1 1954 it merged with the village of Yoshimoto (吉本村) in Muko District to become the city of Takarazuka. The city continued to expand by annexing Nagao Village on March 10, 1955, and Nishitani Village on March 14, 1955, but losing some areas in a border adjustment with the city of Itami on April 1, 1955. On January 17, 1995

992-448: Was freed up to provide the aircraft with a greater fuel capacity, workable landing gear, and rescue equipment. The new variant, which was designated the US-1A , could also quickly be converted for troop-carrying duties. The US-1A was Japan's first amphibian , being capable of being used upon both the land and sea, which meant that it could transfer survivors to land facilities via ambulance more quickly. First flown on October 15, 1974, it

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1024-475: Was impossible to track submerged vessels while airborne; instead, a submarine hunter would have to land to use a dipping sonar or deploy a sonobuoy . The programme soon became politically controversial as its relatively small production run had resulted in an extremely high unit-cost for these aircraft, largely due to the inherent costs involved in the development of brand new aircraft designs. For its part, Shin Meiwa made efforts to commercialise design elements of

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