JAPAN'S first indigenously designed military helicopter, the Kawasaki OH-X scout, had its maiden flight at Gifu on 6 August. The tandem-seat prototype flew for about 16min, reaching a maximum speed of 30kt (55km/h) and 33ft (10m) altitude. "The condition of the first flight was very close to the simulation. The helicopter was very stable," says Kawasaki test pilot Yoshinori Inayama. After the completion of initial flight validation by the company, the OH-X is scheduled to be delivered to the Japan Defence Agency around June 1997, for further testing.
Source: Flight International