Grumman / Shin Meiwa PX-2 Flying boat.

[Pioneer]

Hello gents

I have just been flicking through the book 'The Ironworks' - Grumman`s Fighting Aeroplanes, when for the first time I spotted the entry that Grumman considered license-building of the Japanese Shin Meiwa PX-2 Flying boat. It was viewed by Grumman as an answer to the ever growing commuter problem of New York.
On top of this was Grumman`s investigation into the development of a four-engine turbo-prop Super Albatross.

Does anyone have or know of anything more about this Grumman / Shin Meiwa proposal???

Thanks in advance!

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Stargazer]

I have just been flicking through the book 'The Ironworks' - Grumman`s Fighting Aeroplanes, when for the first time I spotted the entry that Grumman considered license-building of the Japanese Shin Meiwa PX-2 Flying boat. It was viewed by Grumman as an answer to the ever growing commuter problem of New York.

Does anyone have or know of anything more about this Grumman / Shin Meiwa proposal???

The project was Design #487, a land-plane derivative of the Shin Meiwa PS-1 model under consideration by American Airlines. It would have used the basic wing, empenage and powerplants of the PS-1 with two new fuselages, one for the commercial variant and one for the military one; the commercial version (487C) could accommodate up to 90 passengers.

 

[Triton]

Could this be an artist's impression of the Grumman aircraft under discussion?

Topic:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,10544.msg99423.html#msg99423

Source: From the the Archives at Grumman Memorial Park Calverton, Long Island, New York or The Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, Long Island via Warbird Information Exchange forum.
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13327&sid=3a13730c158506b5a71f10d571e2cabf&start=765

 

[Stargazer]

Possibly so. There was also a Design #486C project for a 90-seat STOL transport proposal, and this one could also be related to it.

 

[Triton]

Possibly so. There was also a Design #486C project for a 90-seat STOL transport proposal, and this one could also be related to it.

The wings, engines, and tail in the artist's impression appear to have been taken from the Shin Meiwa PS-1. I presume that the design was from the early 1970s when STOL ports were under consideration to reduce congestion at airports.

 

[Grey Havoc]

What was the intended role of the military variant of Design #487, do you know? Lower cost VIP transport?