P-1 Cleared for Flight

摘要

Japan has cleared the Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft to restart flight operations. The type was grounded following a transient flame-out of all four engines during a test flight on May 13 (see P-1 Grounded and Deliveries Halted, August, p21). The aircraft suffered what the defence ministry termed 'unstable combustion' in its four IHI Corporation XF7-10 engines during a descent over the Pacific Ocean and a September 27 announcement by the ministry said the incident was caused by the inability of the engines' fuel nozzles to deliver an adequate supply.