JMSDF (TRDI) Kawasaki P-X (P-1) and C-X (C-2)

I guess these are projects, at least until their first flights.

Photos by me, from Farnborough 2006.

I picked up this leaflet at Farnborough 2006. This scan was posted at Key forums, saving me the effort

I missed out on this leaflet by seconds. Scan from Key forums.

Hi,

by the way the Kawasaki C-X will fly in mid-2007 and it power by two General
Electric CF6-80C2 turbofans and there is a permission to develope commercial
freighter version,otherwise the Kawasaki P-X will fly at the late of 2007 and
also there is a plan to develope it as 125-seat passenger/transport aircraft version.

2 roll-out photos from the TRDI homepage.

P-X


C-X

Source: http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/topics.html

Are those mockups? I wasn't aware that actual flight hardware was under construction.

The P-X reminds me of a four-TF34 737 that Boeing proposed to Japan in the days before disco.

Sentinel Chicken said:

Are those mockups? I wasn't aware that actual flight hardware was under construction.

Click to expand...

Yep ... but as it seems the first flight has beed delayed for a severe riveting problem maybe untill summer !

Here are two new ... and some older pictures.

Today was the "official" roll-out ... the one earlier was just to give them a breath of fresh air after the painting ... and to show the sun, that wasn't seen today as You can see in these videos !

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/2007/07/04/v20070704000138_rh.html
http://www.fnn-news.com/headlines/CONN00113685.html


Cheers, Deino

Hi,

a civil version of the C-X, the High Speed Commercial Airlifter.
( Source: FliegerRevue )

Servus Maveric

Maveric said:

Hi,

a civil version of the C-X, the High Speed Commercial Airlifter.
( Source: FliegerRevue )

Servus Maveric

Click to expand...

Thanks Maveric. It'll be interesting to see how the commercial version does against Boeing's BC-17.

I'm not sure that this is the appropriate place but I thought it'd be fun to do up the C-X in C-1 camouflage ...

The P-x had its maiden flight today !!

http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/topics/topics.html

... and the small pic below here in large !!!

http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/topics/topics2/IMG_6196.JPG

+ Video:

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=_liOeEPdjW0

Deino

Thanks, Deino!
There is a direct link to P-X maiden flight video on the page http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/topics/topics2/P-XFirstFlight.mpg
It's much better than YouTube crap quality one.

P-X and C-X roll-out video http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/topics/topics2/P-X_C-X_Rollout_video_short.mpg
P-X taxi tests http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/topics/topics2/P-X_soukou.mpg
C-X taxi tests http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/topics/topics2/C-X_soukou.mpg

Japanese Ministry of Defence announced yesterday that Kawasaki P-X was officially designated XP-1.
http://www.mod.go.jp/j/news/2007/09/28.html (Only in Japanese language so far)

Thanks for that info ... any idea, when the X-x is planed to have its maiden flight ?

pic. below is from http://cache.orion.sina.com.cn

Deino said:

pic. below is from http://cache.orion.sina.com.cn

Click to expand...

Chinese spies?! )))

flateric said:

Chinese spies?! )))

Click to expand...

I'm sure the military leaders of the PLA-NA would be interested in something like the P-X and C-X !

Deino

Anybody seen a 2 view of the P-X (XP-1) as it would be interesting ti scale up and compare with other similar aircraft
(Geoff wondering if this could be kit bashed )

Deino said:

Thanks for that info ... any idea, when the X-x is planed to have its maiden flight ?

Click to expand...

X-x??? If you are talking about C-X, the first flight is postponed again to not earlier than late this year, due to problems found on static structural tests.

They are very nice looking aircrafts, hope everything will be OK with the tests of C-X and all the problems will be solved. We have very successful year in terms of new aircrafts' premieres!

Structural Faults Hit Japan's C-X and P-X; KD-767 Also Delayed
Aviation Week & Space Technology
08/06/2007, page 27

Bradley Perrett
Beijing

Printed headline: Cracking Up

First flight of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries C-X will be delayed, after the big Japanese airlifter failed structural tests.

The P-X maritime patroller, a parallel development by the same manufacturer, has also suffered structural problems.

And delivery of the first Boeing KC-767 to Japan has been delayed for a third time—from the end of this month until March—because it has not passed U.S. safety requirements, says the defense ministry.

The ministry will reportedly delay its plan to order the C-X into production by at least one year. The decision was originally to be made during the next fiscal year, beginning Apr. 1, but will not now occur before fiscal 2009.

Tests on a P-X airframe in May resulted in incorrect deformation of the horizontal stabilizer, the ministry says. An investigation found that the C-X was liable to the same fault.

In July, further strength tests on the C-X resulted in cracks around the main landing gear and parts of the fuselage. Then another structural test on the P-X fuselage caused cracks and deformation of the floor of that aircraft.

The ministry still expects the P-X to make its first flight in mid-September, but the C-X will be delayed until December at the earliest. It, too, was supposed to fly in September.

The manufacturer and the ministry’s Technical Research and Development Institute are working to overcome the problems.

The structural weakness is the second big problem to have hit the airframes of the two aircraft. After the prototypes were assembled earlier this year, it was discovered that the U.S. supplier of fasteners had sent a batch of badly made rivets, which had to be found and removed from the two airframes.

Again, it was the C-X that suffered most: 3,663 bad rivets had to be changed on its prototype, compared with 161 on the P-X.

In 369 locations on the C-X airframe, the rivets could not be replaced; so surrounding fasteners were replaced with stronger rivets. The same happened in four places on the P-X.

The 141-metric-ton C-X—a twin-turbofan aircraft comparable with a C-141—also needed other reinforcement.

Kawasaki’s staff worked long extra hours to fix those problems and get the aircraft back on schedule for the September first flights, but the new structural weaknesses will now prevent the C-X from achieving that plan.

Despite its structural problems, the C-X is a simpler project than the P-X, which is to have Japanese-developed engines and combat system. The C-X is powered by commercial General Electric CF6-80C2s.


With Kazuki Shiibashi in Tokyo.

Japan’s C-X airlifter (foreground) and P-X maritime patroller are being developed together. Their horizontal tails have proven too weak, and other structural problems have been found elsewhere in the aircraft. Credit: JAPAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

Folks,

Looks like the Japanese are using the concept of top pressurized and bottom unpressurized fuselage like the French Bregest Atlantic for the P-X.

Jack E. Hammond

Some more and very clear + detailed pics from the 2nd flight !

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/adtwmanbo/5420445.html

Deino

Thanks Deino! Fantastic detail ... especially that belly shot.

Apophenia said:

Thanks Deino! Fantastic detail ... especially that belly shot.

Click to expand...

Thanks ... and even more !

http://bbs.news.sina.com.cn/tableforum/App/view.php?bbsid=4&subid=3&fid=60809&tbid=7834

Kawasaki XP-1 is:

The first brand new designed narrowbody low-wing underwing quadjet since the classical Boeing 707, DC-8 and Convair 880. B747, Il-86, A-340 and A380 are widebodies.

Also, what we seem to have is a brand new manufacturer of high-bypass turbofans.

What is XP-1 fuselage like?

How hard would it be to build a VIP transport/airliner version of XP-1?

chornedsnorkack said:

Kawasaki XP-1 is:

The first brand new designed narrowbody low-wing underwing quadjet since the classical Boeing 707, DC-8 and Convair 880. B747, Il-86, A-340 and A380 are widebodies.

Also, what we seem to have is a brand new manufacturer of high-bypass turbofans.

What is XP-1 fuselage like?

How hard would it be to build a VIP transport/airliner version of XP-1?

Click to expand...

It seems that studies of the YPX are underway: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=awst&id=news/aw081808p3.xml

According to the article it'll compete with Bombardier C Series.

Whether it'll see the light of day is another thing - the last Japanese airliner was the YS-11 - a 60's turboprop.

starviking said:

chornedsnorkack said:

Also, what we seem to have is a brand new manufacturer of high-bypass turbofans.

Click to expand...

Whether it'll see the light of day is another thing - the last Japanese airliner was the YS-11 - a 60's turboprop.

Click to expand...

With Rolls-Royce Darts.

P-X has a new, Japanese engine manufacturer.

Finally today !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXrLLFPFLFU

Deino

I really like the vid, partly because you can hear the chase pilot's throttling as he works to maintain formation. ;D

I'm glad to see it fly, as it is a rather nice looking airplane.

That first flight movie as download:
http://www.mod.go.jp/trdi/news/move/XC-2_First_Flight_Pro1.mpg

F-22 to F-35, and now the C-17 to XC-2:
Mini Me, you complete me! ;D

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ktbmwm3/32502461.html

Looking at the videos, main landing gear suspension is pretty simple compared to the likes of the A400M and An-70 (in effect its principal foreign analogues). Less articulation, it resembles a 777 bogie. Another indication (apart from the choice of turbofan propulsion) perhaps that operation from unprepared strips was not as important a consideration with the C-X.

ice pictures of the second P-1 in naval grey !

http://www.hangkongnet.com/2010/0317/7430.html

Deino

Skeletal view of Kawasaki XC-2.

Skeletal view of Kawasaki XP-1

Artist's impression of Kawasaki YPX, a civilian airliner derived from the Kawasaki XP-1.

Sources:
http://www.geocities.jp/live_doraemon/1218777644.html
http://www.unkar.org/read/anchorage.2ch.net/army/1265283778

YPX seems to lack two engines.

XC-2 prototype #2:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Japan---Air/Kawasaki-XC-2/1852320/L/

With both programmes now having two prototypes, is perhaps it time to move this topic over to the Aerospace section?

Second prototype had its maiden flight today !

http://www.youtube.com/embed/dmZ5SZ9TQ7U


Deino

Nice aircraft ! :

Triton said:

Skeletal view of Kawasaki XC-2.

Skeletal view of Kawasaki XP-1

Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing those! Much better than the previous low-res versions and both now allow some interesting details to be observed.

First of all, the XC-2 cut-away confirms what I said earlier about the landing gear suspension. Secondly the XP-1 appears to have 3 fixed AESA-radars to ensure adequate coverage for surface search - one in the nose radome and 2 cheek arrays below the cockpit windows on either side and a retractable FLIR/EO turret ahead of the nose gear well. You can even see the outlines of the dielectric panel covering the radar arrays as well as the doors covering the FLIR ball in photos of the prototypes!

For example

http://img.blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ybi/1/97/7f/adtwmanbo/folder/433160/img_433160_5420445_3?1192755147

http://img.blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ybi/1/97/7f/adtwmanbo/folder/433160/img_433160_5420445_2?1192755147

More pics:

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ktbmwm3/35897958.html

The first one is pretty intriguing - could this be an Enhanced Vision System FLIR, much like those found on many high-end business jets? Might just be some generic antenna fairing, but certainly interesting.

Another observation on the XP-1 cut-away: unlike the older versions posted here previously, the new image shows the underwing weapons pylon locations (4 each for a total of 8).