YS-11A-400

The YS‑11A‑400 is a twin‑engine turboprop transport produced by Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation in the early 1970s. Developed as the final evolution of the original YS‑11 series, the A‑400 incorporated a stretched fuselage, strengthened wing structure, and more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A‑90 engines delivering 1 900 shaft‑horsepower each. First flight occurred on 12 April 1974 and the type entered civil service with Japan Air Transport the following year, while the Japan Air Self‑Defense Force adopted a special communications and liaison version for domestic operations. The aircraft could carry up to 31 passengers or 4 500 kg of cargo, featured a fully retractable tricycle landing gear, hydraulic flight‑control system, and a modern avionics suite with VHF navigation and weather radar. Its robust design allowed operation from short, unprepared runways, making it valuable for regional routes throughout the Japanese archipelago and remote islands. The YS‑11A‑400 marked the culmination of Japan’s post‑war indigenous airliner program, demonstrating the nation’s ability to design, certify and produce a commercially viable transport aircraft. Though production ceased in 1980, the type remains an iconic symbol of Japanese aviation heritage.