Kawasaki OH-1 Ninja

The Kawazaki OH-1 Ninja is a japanese light reconaissance helicopter that is intended to replace the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse in the Japanese Self-Defense Air Force.

Decription
From the mid-1980s the Japan Defence Agency (JDA), began to consider a successor to the light helicopters currently in service with the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force. It was decided to procure an indigenous type for the scout/reconnaissance roles. In 1992 Kawasaki was selected as prime contractor with 60 percent of the programme, the balance being allocated equally between Fuji and Mitsubishi. The three companies established the Observation Helicopter Engineering Team to develop the programme, on which detailed work began in 1992. The resulting OH-1, nicknamed Ninja, is a conventional machine that is relatively small and of typical gunship helicopter configuration. Its structure comprises, by weight, 40 per cent carbonfibre-reinforced plastics, and it features a fenestron type tail rotor. Each crew member has two LCD colour multi-function displays, and the gunner has a head-up display. The mission avionics include a trainable roof-mounted Kawasaki package (forward of the main rotor) with a Fujitsu thermal imager, NEC colour TV camera and NEC laser rangefinder. Protection is enhanced by the installation of an infra-red jammer on the helicopter's spine to rear of the main gearbox. The first of six prototypes made its initial flight on 6 August 1996, and the first of a possible 150 to 200 OH-1s was delivered to the JGSDF on 24 January 2000. A total of 14 OH-1s has been ordered for delivery by 2001. The JDA may revise the OH-1 to meet its AH-X light attack helicopter requirement. This would probably feature MTR-390 or T800 engines, allowing the introduction of a heavier weapons load and revised mission avionics. The projected designation of the AH-X production model is AH-2.

Variants

 * XOH-1: Prototypes
 * OH-1: Observation helicopter

General Characteristics

 * Crew: two, pilot and observer
 * Length: 12.00 m (39 ft 4 in)
 * Rotor diameter: 11.60 m (38 ft 1 in)
 * Height: 3.80 m (12 ft 6 in)
 * Disc area: 105.6 m² (1,136 ft²)
 * Empty weight: 2,450 kg (5,400 lb)
 * Max takeoff weight: 4,000 kg (8,820 lb)
 * Powerplant: 2× Mitsubishi TS1-M-10 turboshafts, 660 kW (884 shp) each

Performance

 * Maximum speed: 278 km/h (150 kn, 173 mph)
 * Cruise speed: 220 km/h (120 kn, 137 mph)
 * Range: 540 km (292 nmi, 336 mi)
 * Service ceiling: 4,880 m (16,000 ft)

Armament

 * 4 × pylons for disposable stores