Hitachi TR.1
The Hitachi TR.1 was a small airliner developed in Japan in 1938, produced in small numbers as the TR.2. It was a low-wing, cantilever monoplane with retractable tailwheel undercarriage and a fully enclosed cabin. The design strongly resembled the Airspeed Envoy that it was intended to replace in Japanese airline service. Testing of the TR.1 prototype commenced on 8 April 1938 at Haneda Airport, but it suffered a serious accident on 22 June due to a landing in which one of the main undercarriage units failed to extend.
The TR.2 was a revised and strengthened design with a larger wing area, and main undercarriage that only semi-retracted. Twelve examples were built in a small series, but performance was not as good as the TR.1, since the modifications to the design had added 260 kg (570 lb) to the aircraft.
Specifications (TR.1)
General characteristics
- Crew: Two pilots
- Capacity: 4 passengers
- Wingspan: 14.60 m (47 ft 11 in)
- Powerplant: 2 × Hitachi Kamikaze, 180 kW (240 hp) each
References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing. p. 2174.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 511.
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