On Sept. 30, the YS-11, a twin turbojet passenger plane, made its last domestic flight -- from Okinoerabu Island to Kagoshima. It was retirement day for the aircraft that holds a special place in the history of Japan's aircraft manufacturing industry.
Occupation authorities had prohibited aircraft manufacturing through 1952, putting Japan at a technological disadvantage. In 1956, engineers who had designed famous warplanes such as the Zero fighter (Zeke) and the Hien fighter (Tony) started designing Japan's first passenger plane of the postwar years.
The government and private sectors jointly developed the YS-11 with about 60 seats, a length of 26 meters and a wingspan of 32 meters. It made its first flight in 1962. Engineers overcame weak points such as low stability and steering problems. A total of 182 YS-11s were manufactured by 1973.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.