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70-540: Development of the YS-11 can be largely attributed to Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), which had encouraged Japanese aircraft companies to collaborate on the development of a short-haul airliner as early as 1954. In 1959, NAMC was formed to design and produce an aircraft to satisfy MITI's requirements, dubbed the YS-11. On 30 August 1962, the first prototype performed its maiden flight . Deliveries commenced on 30 March 1965, and commercial operations began

140-448: A Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS); any aircraft lacking TCAS were forced to cease operations at the end of 2006. Reportedly, equipping a YS-11 with TCAS had been estimated as costing around ¥ 100 million (about US$ 1 million), such a refit was deemed economically unsound. Those aircraft that remained in a flight-worthy condition were typically sold to foreign companies. On 30 September 2006, Japan Air Commuter Flight 3806 marked

210-536: A joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , Kawasaki Heavy Industries , Fuji Heavy Industries , Shin Meiwa , Showa Aircraft Industry Company and Japan Aircraft Industry Company was established for the purpose of developing and manufacturing the envisioned airliner. Two years later, this partnership was formalised as the Nihon Aeroplane Manufacturing Company (NAMC). The ownership of NAMC

280-433: A batch of ten YS-11A-200s along with an option for an additional ten aircraft for $ 22.5 million. The company was so impressed by its performance, it both exercised the option for ten aircraft and purchased an additional YS-11, operating a combined fleet of 21 YS-11s by mid-1970. Piedmont would be the type's largest international operator; ultimately, no other airline would place another order of this scale. Commercial sales of

350-451: A disadvantage against the salesmen of rival airframers. This failure to address a crucial factor in acquiring new customers has been attributed as a major contributing cause of the programme's poor commercial reception. The end of the YS-11 programme was precipitated by the 1971 Smithsonian Agreement , which led to an appreciation in the value of the Japanese yen and the resulting impact upon

420-561: A domestic airliner to meet this need. Towards this purpose, in May 1957, the Commercial Transport Design Research Association was established and the availability of government subsidies guaranteed. From the government's viewpoint, the development of such an airliner was viewed as a key initiative towards the post-war revival of the nation's aircraft companies, which came in addition to the serious ambition to become

490-518: A larger body. In 2001, it was reorganized into the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI). Important MITI agencies include: Administrative Vice-Minister ( 事務次官 , Jimu jikan ) is the highest position in a ministry filled by a career bureaucrat rather than a political appointee. 35°40′19″N 139°45′04″E  /  35.672°N 139.751°E  / 35.672; 139.751 Fokker F27 Friendship The Fokker F27 Friendship

560-479: A longer fatigue life, improved aerodynamics, and a lighter structure; Fokker became the first such company after de Havilland to employ such means. In 1953, the proposed airliner received the name Friendship . A total of four prototypes were produced, two of these being flyable aircraft that were used for the test flight programme and were paid for by the Netherlands Institute of Aircraft Development ;

630-471: A low-winged twin- turboprop -engined monoplane , capable of seating up to 60 passengers, dubbed the YS-11 . Amongst the design team was Jiro Horikoshi , who had previously been the designer of the famed wartime Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter. Another prominent engineer on the project was Teruo Tojo, the second son of Prime Minister Hideki Tojo , who later became chairman of Mitsubishi Motors . The twin-engined YS-11

700-570: A major international competitor in the global airliner business. Furthermore, while this requirement had been conceived primarily in a commercial context, there was an early recognition of the value for multiple branches of the Japanese Defense Agency (JDA) to be readily able to adopt the type as well; as a philosophy, this not only extended to the prospective airliner itself, but the various technologies involved in its development and manufacture. In response to this encouragement, during 1957,

770-644: A mixture of ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft by the end of 2009, the last of these aircraft were subsequently donated to the Hickory Aviation Museum . As of July 2010 a total of 65 F27s were in commercial service with almost 30 different airlines. By July 2013, only 25 Friendships remained in service, operated by 13 different airlines; most of these were F27-500s, with two -400s and a solitary -600 series aircraft in service. Italian cargo airline MiniLiner operated six F27s and Air Panama had four in its fleet. The United States Army Parachute Team has operated

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840-534: A new variant which possessed a higher gross weight. During 1966, a lease agreement was signed between NAMC and Hawaiian Air Lines , a move which was hailed as the "first step" in the programme's new America-focused campaign. While a number of aircraft would be sold internationally, these were often at a loss as the sales price had been set so low, deliberately as to undercut competing airliners, but paid little heed to production costs; this deficit led to losses mounting more rapidly than anticipated. A major customer for

910-453: A reduction in sales price or delayed payments by airlines had to be reviewed by governmental organizations like the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of International Trade and Industry . It was said that there were many instances of contracts that could not be concluded due to the absence of the various ministry's approval. By 1994, 112 YS-11s remained in service; the lengthy service life of

980-530: A regulator. A major objective of the ministry has been to strengthen the country's industrial base. It has not managed Japanese trade and industry along the lines of a centrally planned economy , but it has provided industries with administrative guidance and other direction, both formal and informal, on modernization, technology, investments in new plants and equipment, and domestic and foreign competition. The close relationship between MITI and Japanese industry has led to foreign trade policy that often complements

1050-610: A “plan 0” at one point. A catchphrase developed around the public reveal of the YS-11 mockup, which was “Let’s meet on the 11th at Sugita in Yokohama.” Here, Yokohama represented the “Y,” the Sugita neighborhood stood for the “S,” and the 11th referred both to the plane and to the date of the public reveal (December 11, 1958). Because of this, it became common to read the “11” in “YS-11” as “eleven” (jūichi in Japanese). For those involved in designing

1120-575: Is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker . It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful European airliners of its era. The F27 was developed during the early 1950s with the intent of producing a capable successor to the earlier piston engine -powered airliners that had become commonplace on

1190-586: The Olympic torch in the run-up to the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. It received its Japanese Type certificate on 25 August 1964, while American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification followed on 9 September 1965. Prior to applying for certification, the FAA had been involved in the programme at NAMC's invitation, performing informal project reviews so that defects could be identified and eliminated early on. During

1260-455: The 1950s and 1960s. As industry became stronger and as MITI lost some of its policy tools, such as control over allocation of foreign exchange, MITI's policies also changed. The success of Japanese exports and the tension it has caused in other countries led MITI to provide guidance on limiting exports of particular products to various countries. Starting in 1981, MITI presided over the establishment of voluntary restraints on automobile exports to

1330-466: The 1990s because of deregulation and the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble , and the creation of the World Trade Organization made it more difficult for governments to protect local companies from foreign competition. The declining significance of MITI to Japanese companies made it a less powerful agency within the bureaucracy, and by the end of the 20th century, it was folded into

1400-582: The Association for Research on Transport Aircraft Design (Yusōki sekkei kenkyū kyōkai). Meanwhile, the first “1” of the “11” refers to the various engine candidates considered for the YS-11; the Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.10/1 , which was the engine selected, had been designated “number 1.” The second “1” refers to the aircraft specification plan selected for the YS-11, which had been one among many plans that differed by wing placement and size. There had also been

1470-502: The DC-3, the F27 possessed superior levels of efficiency, enabling faster flight times, greater passenger comfort and a higher level of reliability. In 1960, the base purchase price for an RDa.6-powered F27 was £239,000. By the end of the production run for the Fokker F27 in 1987, a total of 592 units had been completed by Fokker (additionally, another 207 F-27s and FH-227s had been produced in

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1540-470: The F27 made its maiden flight ; on 19 November 1958, the type was introduced to revenue service. Shortly after its introduction, the F27 was recognised as being a commercial success. Under a licensing arrangement reached between Fokker and the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Fairchild , the F27 was manufactured in the United States by the latter; Fairchild went on to independently develop a stretched version of

1610-484: The F27 were developed and made available for commercial operators. Several military transport models were also produced. Fokker also chose to design a dedicated model of the F27 for conducting maritime reconnaissance missions. During 1952, Fokker established a relationship with the US aircraft manufacturer Fairchild , which was interested in the upcoming F27. In 1956, Fokker signed a licensing deal with Fairchild, under which

1680-619: The F27. The Fokker 50 ultimately replaced the F27 in production. In November 1958, the first production aircraft, an F27-100 model, was delivered to Irish airline Aer Lingus ; it performed its first revenue flight in the following month. Other early customers of the Friendship included Braathens SAFE and Luxair in Europe; New Zealand National Airways Corporation ; Trans Australia Airlines and its Australian competitors Ansett and East-West Airlines ; and Turkish Airlines . Initial sales for

1750-550: The Japan Air Self-Defense Force retired the YS-11 after 57 years of service. In railroad journals, YS-11 was linked to the 0 Series Shinkansen , another Japanese-made form of transportation that debuted around the time of the 1964 Olympics. Additionally, the Shinkansen and the YS-11 were both developed by individuals who were involved with the creation of military aircraft (this was to be expected with an airplane like

1820-510: The Japanese commuter airlines for which the aircraft had been designed. Initial attempts were made to market the airliner towards various countries across Southeast Asia ; at one point, the Japanese government was allegedly encouraging such sales as a form of war reparations . Seeking to make the aircraft more attractive to the highly active North American market, NAMC decided to develop the YS-11A ,

1890-457: The Japanese economy. By the mid-1980s, the ministry was helping foreign corporations set up operations in Japan. The decline of MITI was described by Johnstone: However MITI still continued to benefit industry, especially in semiconductors, where, to overcome resistance to a new technology, it forced every electronic company to have at least one CMOS project going. The influence of MITI shrank in

1960-423: The US by Fairchild), more than any other western European civil turboprop airliner at the time. In later service, many aircraft have been modified from their original configurations for passenger service to perform cargo or express-package freighter duties instead. The last major cargo user of the F27 in the United States was FedEx Express , using it as a cargo "feeder" aircraft. These were retired and replaced by

2030-423: The United States to allay criticism from American manufacturers and their unions. Similarly, MITI was forced to liberalize import policies, despite its traditional protectionist focus. During the 1980s, the ministry helped to craft a number of market-opening and import promoting measures, including the creation of an import promotion office within the ministry. The close relationship between MITI and industry allowed

2100-401: The YS-11 began to stall without a stable structure in place for sales. Especially outside of Japan, the YS-11 was forced to compete with other country's models with long-term low deferred interest payments. Nor was it rare for NAMC to have to sell the YS-11 at a discount, as this was Japan's first commercial airliner since the end of World War II, and had no proven track record. Additionally, it

2170-561: The YS-11 was the American operator Piedmont Airlines , who had been seeking the optimal modern airliner to serve their existing routes, which mostly comprised a number of small, mountainous airports. After evaluating numerous aircraft around the world, the company determined that the Japanese airliner was the most suitable; according to Piedmont's president, Thomas H Davis: "The YS‐11 was the only one we could find which would do it on an economical basis". During October 1967, Piedmont Airlines ordered

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2240-1736: The YS-11, but men like Migi Tadanao and Matsudaira Tadashi were also involved with the Shinkansen). Former and present operators of the NAMC YS-11 include: [REDACTED]   Argentina [REDACTED]   Aruba [REDACTED]   Brazil [REDACTED]   Brunei [REDACTED]   Canada [REDACTED]   Democratic Republic of the Congo [REDACTED]   Egypt [REDACTED]   Gabon [REDACTED]   Gambia [REDACTED]   Greece [REDACTED]   Indonesia [REDACTED]   Ivory Coast [REDACTED]   Japan [REDACTED]   Mexico [REDACTED]   Peru [REDACTED]   Philippines [REDACTED]   South Korea [REDACTED]   Taiwan [REDACTED]   Tanzania [REDACTED]   Trinidad and Tobago [REDACTED]   Thailand [REDACTED]   United Arab Emirates [REDACTED]   United States JSDF delivery breakdown: JASDF 2 YS-11EA for Electronic Warfare 4 YS-11EB for ELINT 3 YS-11FC for Flight Checker 1 YS-11NT for Navigation Trainer 3 YS-11P for Passenger/VIP Transport JMSDF 2 YS-11M for Freighter 2 YS-11M-A for Freighter 6 YS-11T-A for MPA trainer There have been over twenty hull loss accidents involving YS-11 aircraft. Ministry of International Trade and Industry The Ministry of International Trade and Industry ( 通商産業省 , Tsūshō-sangyō-shō , MITI )

2310-582: The airliner, which was designated as the Fairchild FH-227 . During the 1980s, Fokker developed a modernised successor to the F27, the Fokker 50 , which eventually replaced it in production. In the aftermath of the Second World War , twin-engine all-metal monoplanes such as the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner dominated commuter aviation. Over 10,000 DC-3s had been manufactured during wartime, which led to

2380-415: The better YS-11A variation. In the end, the YS-11 had shown that Japan was capable of building an airliner, but NAMC had racked up a huge debt, and the type is generally regarded as a commercial failure. Large numbers of the type continued to be in service until 2006, at which point tighter Japanese aircraft regulations imposed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism necessitated either

2450-458: The company began to spread a culture of bureaucracy, making necessary drastic management reforms impossible and further increasing the program's deficit. In particular, there was deficit in sales activities outside of Japan that were a result of fundamental problems in NAMC's administrative activities in the United States, as indicated by the Japanese government Board of Audit ; this is to say nothing of

2520-460: The design team chose to incorporate various new technologies into the tentative design. Fokker evaluated several potential configurations for the airliner, including the use of Wright Cyclone radial engines , before finally settling upon a high- wing aircraft, which was furnished with a pair of Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines and a pressurised cabin which contained a total of 28 passengers. The Dart engine had already proven successful on

2590-532: The domestic market closed to most foreign companies. MITI lost some influence when the switch was made to a floating exchange rate between the United States dollar and yen in 1971. Before that point, MITI had been able to keep the exchange rate artificially low, which benefited Japan's exporters. Later, intense lobbying from other countries, particularly the United States , pushed Japan to introduce more liberal trade laws that further lessened MITI's grip over

2660-612: The early 1980s, Fokker decided to develop a modernised successor to the F27 Friendship, designated as the F27 Mark 050 and marketed as the Fokker 50 . Although originating from the F27-500 airframe, the Fokker 50 was virtually a new aircraft, complete with Pratt & Whitney Canada engines and modern systems, which led to its general performance and passenger comfort being noticeably improved over

2730-473: The early models of the Vickers Viscount , while a high-mounted wing had been selected as it produced a higher lift coefficient than a lower counterpart, it also enabled easier ground loading due to a lower floor level and provided unfettered external views to passengers without any weight increase. In the aircraft's construction, Fokker used an innovative metal-to-metal bonding technique, Redux , resulting in

2800-427: The engine selected to power the airliner was the 2,275 kW (3,050 ehp) Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.10/1 powerplant, which was both developed and produced by British-based company Rolls-Royce . Furthermore, according to author Stephen C Mercado, due to the lack of available domestic technology at the time, several of the key aircraft systems, such as cabin pressurization , were copied from foreign sources; such information

2870-771: The final flight of a YS-11 within Japan's commercial aviation industry. In 2007, the YS-11 was added to the Mechanical Engineering Heritage of Japan as item number 13. As of 2014, fifteen were operated by the Japanese military, and two in Mexico. As of 2017, only eight remained in service with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force , which were being used for flight checks and other ancillary purposes. As of August 2020, two aircraft remain in commercial service in South America and Africa. As of March 2021,

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2940-401: The following month. The majority of orders for the type were issued from various Japanese airlines. While sales to such customers were swift in the YS-11's initial years of availability, this limited market soon became saturated, leading to a slump in demand. Production of the type came to an end in 1974 as a result of efforts to increase sales to international clients, including the creation of

3010-684: The government sought a better mechanism for reviving the Japanese economy. MITI has been responsible not only in the areas of exports and imports but also for all domestic industries and businesses not specifically covered by other ministries in the areas of investment in plant and equipment, pollution control , energy and power , some aspects of foreign economic assistance, and consumer complaints. This span has allowed MITI to integrate conflicting policies, such as those on pollution control and export competitiveness, to minimize damage to export industries. MITI has served as an architect of industrial policy , an arbiter on industrial problems and disputes, and

3080-472: The individual companies to make cost savings while simultaneously guarantee profit to them on every plane produced. Furthermore, it had been alleged that some participants saw the YS-11 as only a training programme to develop their employees' skills, rather than a serious commercial initiative; some participants chose to rotate large numbers of staff in and out of the project for brief periods before re-tasking them to work on internal projects. Mercado claims that

3150-409: The late 1960s, a lack of significant international sales led to the programme incurring persistent losses, the outstanding debt eventually growing to $ 600 million. Due to the organisation of the programme, the aircraft manufacturers themselves did not have any of this debt apportioned to themselves, NAMC being held solely responsible; Mercado criticised this approach as it meant there was no incentive for

3220-563: The latter was authorised to manufacture the F27 in the USA. On 12 April 1958, the first American-built aircraft conducted its first flight. Production of Fairchild built aircraft would continue until July 1973. Fairchild proceeded to independently develop a stretched version of the airliner, designated as the FH-227 . The majority of sales completed by Fairchild fell within the North American market. In

3290-485: The managing director of NAMC resigned. NAMC had no experience of selling passenger planes, and so it concluded a contract with Charlotte Aircraft without conducting an investigation into the company's trustworthiness or business practices, nor without creating a clause in the event Charlotte Aircraft refused to conduct sales. When the contract with Charlotte Aircraft was terminated, NAMC was forced to pay 23,000,000 yen and turn over used aircraft. In addition, any requests for

3360-515: The market, such as the Douglas DC-3 . A key innovation of the F27 was the adoption of the Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engine, which produced substantially less vibration and noise which provided improved conditions for passengers; another major comfort feature was cabin pressurisation . Innovative manufacturing techniques were also employed in the aircraft's construction. On 24 November 1955,

3430-485: The maximum number of passengers which could be carried to 32. These aircraft were also powered by the Dart Mk 528 engine, which was capable of generating greater thrust. Throughout the F27's production life, Fokker proceeded to adapt the design for various purposes and roles. Via modifications such as the adoption of improved engines, rearranged loading doors, elongated fuselages, and other changes, several different models of

3500-414: The ministry to play such a role in fostering more open markets, but conflict remained between the need to open markets and the desire to continue promoting new and growing domestic industries. As late as the 1980s, prime ministers were expected to serve a tenure as MITI minister before taking over the government. MITI worked closely with Japanese business interests, and was largely responsible for keeping

3570-424: The ministry's efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing interests. MITI facilitated the early development of nearly all major industries by providing protection from import competition, technological intelligence, help in licensing foreign technology, access to foreign exchange, and assistance in mergers. These policies to promote domestic industry and to protect it from international competition were strongest in

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3640-512: The nation's economy. By this point, it was clear that there was little chance that the YS-11 could ever come close to breaking even . These myriad factors contributed to the decision for production to be terminated after the completion of 182 aircraft. On 11 May 1973, the last YS-11 was delivered to the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). On 23 October 1964, the first production YS-11 conducted its first flight; it

3710-416: The other two prototypes were for static and fatigue testing. On 24 November 1955, the first prototype, registered PH-NIV , performed its maiden flight . The second prototype and initial production machines were 0.9 m (3 ft) longer than the first prototype in order to address a revealed tendency for slightly tail-heavy handling as well as to provide additional space for four more passengers, raising

3780-452: The plane, meanwhile, the designation had originally been pronounced “YS-one-one” (or YS ichi ichi). On 30 August 1962, the first prototype performed its maiden flight from Nagoya Airport ; it was soon followed by the second prototype, flying on 28 December 1962. Early flight testing revealed several issues to troubleshoot, including poor steering, excessive vibration and noise. There was also an acute lack of safety during sideways maneuvers;

3850-474: The programme's operational mindset was closer to that of a military project than a commercial one, while a preoccupation with government-issued performance criteria obstructed considerations towards the actual desires of the commercial operators, such as operating costs and cabin configuration, that the YS-11 was marketed towards. As this was Japan's first, and for a long time only, post-war airliner, NAMC lacked any staff with experience in marketing towards airlines,

3920-450: The promised activities, and when a sales agreement with Piedmont Airlines was concluded with Mitsui , Charlotte Aircraft demanded damages under their status as exclusive dealer, and Piedmont Airlines and Cruzeiro do Sul handed over 33 used aircraft traded in for YS-11 to Charlotte Aircraft; Japan's Board of Audit complained these actions were unfair. This event became a problem in the Diet , and

3990-402: The type being highly available and thus encouraging its adoption by hundreds of operators across the world. By the early 1950s, various aircraft manufacturers had begun considering the post-war requirements of the civil aviation market and several commenced work upon projects aiming to produce designs for new aircraft which would be viewed as best meeting these requirements; Dutch firm Fokker

4060-453: The type were slow, which led to Fokker seeking financial support from banks and from the Dutch government in order to maintain production of the airliner while more customers were sought. In 1960, demand for the F27 increased rapidly as multiple airlines placed sizable orders for the type. This is in part due to the spreading reputation of the type, having been found by operators that, in comparison to its piston-engine wartime counterparts like

4130-431: The type, despite the short manufacturing lifespan, has been hailed by some officials as evidence of the type being successful in some respect. The YS-11 was slowly phased out by Japanese airlines up until the early 2000s, at which point the withdrawal rate spiked in response to new directives issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism that required all commercial aircraft in Japan to be fitted with

4200-680: The unforeseen loss due to a less favorable currency exchange that resulted after the American government switched to a floating exchange rate in 1971. When Jenks Caldwell of Charlotte Aircraft Corporation , a sales dealer of used aircraft and aviation parts headquartered in North Carolina , expressed a strong desire to become a sales agent in the United States through a modification of YS-11A, NAMC signed an exclusive agency contract with his company to manage sales for North America, Latin America and Spain. However, Charlotte Aircraft did not actually carry out

4270-403: The wake of the propeller produced abnormal forces that inclined the aircraft to the right; all of the rudders were ineffective; and the maneuverability was worst of all. These problems produced a tailspin during the flight test, and were the direct cause of a crash. This was known as the “three rudder problem.” In one prestigious early flight of the type, All Nippon Airways used a YS-11 to carry

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4340-480: The withdrawal or refitting of all YS-11s. By 2018, only a single example reportedly remained in commercial service. During the mid-to-late 1950s, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) identified a requirement for a short-haul airliner to replace Douglas DC-3s flying on Japan's domestic routes, and encouraged companies in Japan's aircraft industry to collaborate to develop and produce

4410-549: Was a ministry of the Government of Japan from 1949 to 2001. The MITI was one of the most powerful government agencies in Japan and, at the height of its influence, effectively ran much of Japanese industrial policy, funding research and directing investment. In 2001, MITI was merged with other agencies during the Central Government Reform to form the newly created Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). MITI

4480-410: Was also said that there was mismanagement of the program's cost management, as initial estimates had neglected to include the cost advertising or company administration. Moreover, because multiple companies were involved with the aircraft manufacturing, it was unclear who held ultimate responsibility, nor could the price of delivered parts be reduced. An increase in former government employees appointed to

4550-418: Was amongst the companies pursuing development of such an aircraft. By 1951, figures within Fokker were urging that design work be undertaken on a prospective 32-seat airliner intended as a direct replacement for the popular DC-3. Fokker sought the opinions of existing DC-3 operators on what performance increases and refinements they would expect of a new model of commuter aircraft. On the basis of this feedback,

4620-558: Was created with the split of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in May 1949 and given the mission for coordinating international trade policy with other groups, such as the Bank of Japan , the Economic Planning Agency , and the various commerce-related cabinet ministries. At the time it was created, Japan was still recovering from the economic disaster of World War II . With inflation rising and productivity failing to keep up,

4690-403: Was delivered to its customer on 30 March 1965. During April 1965, initial airline operations commenced with launch customer Toa Airways . By 1968, the YS-11 programme accounted for about half of all aircraft production taking place in Japan that year. Early deliveries were mainly made to Japanese airlines, but orders for the type slowed drastically after the satisfaction of the outstanding needs of

4760-431: Was gleaned from a combination of Japanese airlines, trading companies and diplomats. Throughout the YS-11's production lifetime, its electronic equipment, avionics, mechanical and fuselage components were supplied by a combination of Japanese companies and foreign suppliers. The “YS” of the YS-11 comes from a combination of the first letter sounds of the two Japanese words yusō (transport) and sekkei (design), which refer to

4830-504: Was initially divided between the Japanese government, which held 54% of the shares, while the constituent aircraft manufacturers held an 18% stake and several components/materials suppliers owned 11%; the remaining shares were small stakes belonging to various banks, insurance companies, and stock firms who chose to invest in the programme. However, NAMC was essentially a "paper company", being reliant upon both personnel and infrastructure provided by its constituent manufacturers. NAMC designed

4900-490: Was projected as delivering similar operational performance to the four-engined British-built Vickers Viscount , while possessing 50% greater capacity than the similarly configured Dutch-built Fokker F27 Friendship . MITI supervised the pricing of the aircraft in order to ensure that it was competitive with the American-built Martin 4-0-4 . Although the tentative aircraft was mainly designed and manufactured in Japan,

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