Mitsubishi F-1

F-1
	F-1 at Misawa Base (1994)
Role	close air support, ground-attack and anti-ship jet aircraft.
Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / Fuji Heavy Industries
First flight	3 June 1975
Introduction	April 1978
Retired	March 2006
Status	Retired
Primary user	Japan Air Self Defense Force
Produced	1975–1987
Number built	77
Developed from	Mitsubishi T-2

The Mitsubishi F-1 is a Japanese swept-wing, single-seat, twin-engine supersonic strike aircraft that was in service with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) from 1978 to 2006. It was Japan's first domestically designed and built supersonic combat aircraft, jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries.^{[citation needed]} It is essentially a T-2 trainer airframe modified for a dedicated anti-ship and ground attack role.

Design and development[]

In the mid 1960s, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) commenced studies into an advanced jet trainer which could also be modified to serve in the ground attack and anti-shipping roles. After considering license production of the T-38 Talon and SEPECAT Jaguar, Japan decided to develop its own trainer, the supersonic Mitsubishi T-2, this first flying on 20 July 1971. Cost over-runs in the T-2 program led to the proposed single seat attack version almost being abandoned, but the cancellation of the , the planned replacement for Japan's Kawasaki P-2J maritime patrol aircraft freed-up funds, while making it important to keep Japan's aviation industry employed, and contracts were awarded for the development of the attack version as the FS-T2kai in 1973.^[1]^[2]

The new aircraft was a minimum change derivative of the T-2, with the rear cockpit being converted to an avionics bay by removing the rear seat, and replacing the canopy with a simple unglazed access hatch.^[3] Two additional hardpoints were fitted under the wing to allow carriage of a heavier weapon load, and the avionics were improved,^[4] with a new J/AWG-12 radar set, similar to that fitted in British Royal Air Force F-4M Phantom fighter jets.^[5] This set provides ranging information. Aside from the avionics changes, deletion of the rear seat, and new one-piece canopy, the only other major change from the T-2 was the strengthening of the airframe to enable it to carry a larger weapons load than the T-2. The F-1 is fitted with an internally mounted 20 mm JM61A1 Vulcan cannon with 750 rounds of ammunition. The aircraft also has seven external hardpoints for the carriage of a wide variety of stores. The fuselage hardpoint and inboard pair of underwing hardpoints are plumbed for external fuel tanks to increase the aircraft's range. The primary weapon of the F-1 is the ASM-1 and the newer ASM-2 long-range anti-ship missile. This weapon is roughly in the class of the American AGM-84 Harpoon or French AM.39 Exocet. Other weapons carried include the all-aspect short-range heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile for air-to-air combat. This weapon is carried on the wingtip rails usually, but it can also be carried on the outboard underwing hardpoints for the F-1's secondary air defense role. Other air-to-ground weapons carried include rocket pods (JLAU-3/A) of 70 mm (2.75 in) size as well as bombs of 227 kg (500 lb) and 340 kg (750 lb) in size (Mk82 and M117 respectively). In addition, the Mk-82 and M117 bombs can be fitted with infrared guidance kits, turning them into precision-guided weapons that home in on heat radiation emitted from seaborne targets such as ships or other ground-based targets. When fitted with this kit, the bomb becomes known as GCS-1.

The F-1 was replaced by the F-2 (Japan/U.S. developed, based on the F-16C/D), as well as upgraded F-4EJ Kai Phantom IIs. The last six active F-1s, based at Tsuiki in Fukuoka Prefecture, were retired on 9 March 2006, having reached the 4,000 hour limit of their airframes.

Variants[]

FS-T2-Kai: The first two prototypes.
Mitsubishi F-1: Single-seat close air support, ground-attack and anti-ship fighter aircraft.

Operators[]

: Japan Air Self-Defense Force

Survivors / Aircraft on display[]

Mitsubishi F-1 on display at Fuchū Air Base, Tokyo

60-8275 F-1 Fuchū Air Base, in Fuchu, Tokyo^[6]
70-8207 F-1 Mitsu Seiki Co., Ltd. Taga Works, Awaji, Hyōgo^[6]
F-1 JASDF Kamo sub-base, Oga, Akita Prefecture^[6]
F-1 (nose section) Misawa Air Base, Misawa, Aomori Prefecture^[6]
F-1 Misawa Aviation & Science Museum, Misawa, Aomori Prefecture^[6]
F-1 (fire training) Ashiya Air Field, Ashiya, Fukuoka Prefecture^[6]
F-1 Kasuga Air Base, Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture^[6]
F-1 Tsuiki Air Field, Tsuiki, Fukuoka Prefecture^[6]
F-1 JASDF Erimo sub-base, Erimo, Hokkaido Prefecture^[6]
F-1 Hyakuri Airport, Omitama, Ibaraki Prefecture^[6]
F-1 National Defense Academy of Japan, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture^[6]
F-1 JASDF Sado sub-base, Sado, Niigata Prefecture^[6]
F-1 Iruma Air Base, Sayama, Saitama Prefecture^[6]
F-1 Ōtsu JGSDF base, Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture^[6]
F-1 (Nose section) Fujisan Juku no Mori Park, Airfield cafe, Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture^[6]
F-1 Harada collection Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture^[6]
F-1 U.S.-Japan Joint Air Defense Command HQ, Yokota Air Base, Fussa, Tokyo^[6]
F-1 Hōfu Kita Air Base, Hōfu, Yamaguchi Prefecture^[6]

Specifications (F-1)[]

Data from Mitsubishi's Sabre Successor^[7]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 17.86 m (58 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 7.88 m (25 ft 10 in)
Height: 4.48 m (14 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 21.2 m² (228 sq ft)
Empty weight: 6,358 kg (14,017 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 13,674 kg (30,146 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Ishikawa-Harima TF40-801A afterburning turbofan engines, 22.8 kN (5,100 lbf) thrust each dry, 35.6 kN (8,000 lbf) with afterburner

Performance

Maximum speed: 1,700 km/h (1,100 mph, 920 kn) at 11,000 m (36,089 ft) (clean)
Combat range: 556 km (345 mi, 300 nmi) High-Low-High profile with two ASM-1 missiles and one 830 l (220 US gal; 180 imp gal) drop tank
Ferry range: 2,870 km (1,780 mi, 1,550 nmi) (max external fuel)
Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft) ^[8]
Time to altitude: 11,000 m (36,089 ft) in 2.0 minutes
Wing loading: 645 kg/m² (132 lb/sq ft)

Armament

Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) JM61A1 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatling cannon
Hardpoints: One centerline, four underwing and two wingtip missile rails
Bombs: Various bombs, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and rocket pods on four underwing, two wingtip, and one underfuselage pylon. Weapons carried include AIM-9 Sidewinder, Mitsubishi AAM-1, Mitsubishi Type 80 Air-to-Ship Missile/Type 93 Air-to-Ship Missile anti-ship missiles, JLAU-3A 70 mm rocket pods, RL-7 70 mm rockets, RL-4 125 mm rockets, Mk-82 500 lb and M117 750 lb bombs, the GCS-1, and IR-guided versions of the Mk-82 and M117.

References[]

Notes

^ Lake 1995, pp. 52–53.
^ Sekigawa 1980, pp. 117–120.
^ Lake 1995, p.53.
^ Sekigawa 1980, pp. 120–121.
^ Lake 1995, p.68.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r Thompson, Paul J-HangarSpace - Where Are They Now? Retrieved September 16, 2016
^ Sekigawa 1980, p.130.
^ Michell 1994, p.128.

Bibliography

Eden, Paul (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft. London: Amber Books, 2004. ISBN 1-904687-84-9.
Lake, Jon. "Mitsubishi F-1: Ship-killing Samurai". World Air Power Journal, Volume 23, Winter 1995. London:Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 978-1-874023-64-7. ISSN 0959-7050. pp. 50–71.
Michell, Simon (editor). Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.
Sekigawa, Eiichiro. "Mitsubishi's Sabre Successor". Air International, March 1980, Vol 18 No 3. Bromley, UK:Fine Scroll. ISSN 0306-5634. pp. 117–121, 130–131.

External links[]

[Lake_p52-3-1] Lake 1995, pp. 52–53.

[Seki_p117-20-2] Sekigawa 1980, pp. 117–120.

[Lake_p53-3] Lake 1995, p.53.

[Seki_p120-1-4] Sekigawa 1980, pp. 120–121.

[Lake_p68-5] Lake 1995, p.68.

[where-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r Thompson, Paul J-HangarSpace - Where Are They Now? Retrieved September 16, 2016

[Sekigawa_p130-7] Sekigawa 1980, p.130.

[Janes_upgrades_94_p128-8] Michell 1994, p.128.

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