IATA YS1ICAO YS11

NAMC YS-11

NAMC

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Japan's first postwar domestically designed turboprop airliner.

First flight

1962

Category

Regional turboprop

Seating

60 passengers

Range

2,200 km

Engines

Two Rolls-Royce Dart Mk 542-10 turboprop engines

Status

Mostly retired

The NAMC YS-11 is a twin-turboprop transport aircraft developed by the Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (NAMC), a consortium of Japanese aerospace companies formed in 1959. It was designed to revive Japan's civil aviation manufacturing capability after World War II and to meet domestic regional airline demand. The aircraft entered service in 1965 and was operated by Japan Air Lines, All Nippon Airways, and numerous regional and military operators worldwide. Its robust construction and reliable performance made it suitable for short to medium regional routes. Production ended in 1974 after 182 airframes were built. While most commercial examples have been retired, a small number continue to serve with military and government operators, most notably with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Notable operators

Major operators included All Nippon Airways, Japan Air Lines, LACSA, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Notable facts

›The YS-11 was Japan's first domestically designed and produced postwar commercial transport aircraft.
›A total of 182 aircraft were built between 1962 and 1974.
›The aircraft was designed by a government-sponsored consortium called Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (NAMC).
›It was exported to operators in the Americas, Asia, and Africa, as well as to the U.S. military.
›Several YS-11s remain in active service with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.