Kawasaki OH-1

what is it?

The Kawasaki OH-1 (nickname: "Ninja") is a military scout/observation helicopter developed and manufactured by the Kawasaki Aerospace Company. The primary operator is the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), who originally procured the OH-1 as a domestically produced successor to their existing OH-6D Loach fleet. The OH-1 has the distinction of being the first helicopter to be entirely produced in Japan.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 turboshaft engines · 11.6 m main rotor

base stats

• speed 278 km/htop speed
• range 550 kmwithout refuelling
• size 4,000 kgmax take-off weight
• built 38made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 30 years ago, in 1996.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Rotor of 11.6 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.

spec sheet

first flight

1996-08-06

introduced

2000

status

still flying

number built

38

role

scout/observation helicopter

origin

🇯🇵 Japan

makers

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Aerospace Systems Company

engines

2× Mitsubishi TS1-M-10, 2= ja, 3=TS1 (エンジン)

crew

2

length

12 m

rotor diameter

11.6 m

height

3.8 m

max take-off weight

4,000 kg

top speed

278 km/h

cruise speed

220 km/h

range

550 km

ceiling

4,880 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.