ShinMaywa US-2

Amphibious Flying Boat Aircraft

Japan | 2007

"Introduced in 2007, the ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious flying boat is expected to reach production totals numbering seven aircraft."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/04/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image from the U.S. DoD DVIDS imagery database; Released to the Public.

While no longer as heavily relied upon as in previous decades of military aviation, the flying boat is alive and well through a few choice aircraft including the Japanese ShinMaywa US-2. The US-2 goes beyond the capabilities of a flying boat by containing an inherent undercarriage facility which makes the aircraft a true "amphibian". With this trait, the US-2 serves the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) well in the Search-and-Rescue (SAR) role. First flight was on December 18th, 2003 with series introduction occurring on March 30th, 2007. Production has been ongoing since 2003. The series was adopted to succeed the aging US-1/PS-1 family of amphibious flying boats of which 43 were produced.

Earlier in its life, the US-2 fell under the Shin Meiwa Industries brand label until the company was reborn as ShinMaywa Industries of Takarazuka (Hyogo Prefecture) in 1992.

The US-2 features a typical operating crew of eleven and can seat up to 20 passengers or, alternatively, 12 medical litters with applicable staff. Overall length of the aircraft reaches 33.5 meters with a wingspan of 33 meters and height of 9.8 meters. Empty weight is 56,500 lb with a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 105,150 lb. Power is through 4 x Rolls-Royce AE2100J series turboprop engines developing 4,590 horsepower each and driving six-bladed Dowty R414 series propeller units. Additional boundary layer control is provided through an LHTEC T800 turbine engine supplying an additional 1,360 horsepower. Performance specifications include a maximum speed of 350 miles per hour, a cruising speed of 300 miles per hour, a range out to 3,000 miles, and a service ceiling up to 23,600 feet. Performance of the US-2 provides for Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) qualities which is always appreciated by maritime services.

Outwardly, the US-2 exhibits a traditional flying boat appearance with shoulder-mounted wings holding the engines along their leading edge, a T-style tail unit, and a boat-like hull under the fuselage. The cockpit is aft and over the nose with a commanding view of the action ahead as well as unfettered views of the engines. Pontoon floats are carried under each wing mainplane outboard of the engine pairings. The cargo hold is suitable for many at-sea mission types (including resupply initiatives) but primarily serves the SAR role.

Beyond the JMSDF, the US-2 has garnered interest from the Indian Navy who is in search of a modern SAR platform. The service may purchase as many as eighteen of the type. Japanese naval US-2 aircraft are stationed at Iwakuni Air Base in Southwest Japan and Atsugi Air Base in Eastern Japan.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the ShinMaywa US-2 Amphibious Flying Boat Aircraft.

4 x Rolls-Royce AE2100J turboprop engines developing 4,590 horsepower each driving six-bladed propeller units.
Propulsion

348 mph
560 kph | 302 kts
Max Speed

23,622 ft
7,200 m | 4 miles
Service Ceiling

2,920 miles
4,700 km | 2,538 nm
Operational Range

2,100 ft/min
640 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the ShinMaywa US-2 Amphibious Flying Boat Aircraft.

11
(MANNED)
Crew

109.8 ft
33.46 m
O/A Length

108.8 ft
(33.15 m)
O/A Width

32.2 ft
(9.80 m)
O/A Height

56,504 lb
(25,630 kg)
Empty Weight

105,160 lb
(47,700 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the ShinMaywa US-2 family line.

US-2 - Base Series Designation

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the ShinMaywa US-2. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 4 Units
Contractor(s): ShinMaywa (Shin Meiwa Industries) - Japan

[ India (possible); Japan ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 400mph

Lo: 200mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (348mph).

Graph Average of 300 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

4

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

♦

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Image released to the Public Domain by Wikipedia user Mamo.

❮ ❯

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

SEARCH & RESCUE

MARITIME / NAVY

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

RECONNAISSANCE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The ShinMaywa US-2 Amphibious Flying Boat Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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