Kawasaki KH-7

[boxkite]

From http://www.helis.com/70s/

Kawasaki KH-7 was the name for a middle class helicopter with hinge-less rotor system, which was projected by Kawasaki in early 1970s.
At the same time, in Europe, MBB has project a same class helicopter named bo107.
By 1975, MBB offered Kawasaki to cumulate their projects. Both companies agreed in this international joint development, and their new project will result in the BK-117 in the 80s

Has anybody seen a three-view drawing (or artwork/display model) of this Japanese BK-117 predecessor?

 

[starviking]

From http://www.helis.com/70s/

Kawasaki KH-7 was the name for a middle class helicopter with hinge-less rotor system, which was projected by Kawasaki in early 1970s.
At the same time, in Europe, MBB has project a same class helicopter named bo107.
By 1975, MBB offered Kawasaki to cumulate their projects. Both companies agreed in this international joint development, and their new project will result in the BK-117 in the 80s

Has anybody seen a three-view drawing (or artwork/display model) of this Japanese BK-117 predecessor?

No joy, though this pdf seems to indicate planning for the KH-7 started in 1965 (Showa 40, by the Japanese calendar).

www.sjac.or.jp/toukei/50nennoayumi/4_7_2_nihonnokoukuki_kakuron2.pdf

Starviking

 

[amsci99]

Remember seeing a drawing of a proposed transport heli utilising the Lockheed rigid rotor system by Mitsubitshi on the website of the Japanese Chapter of the AHS. Anyone have anymore info on that?

 

[VictorXL188]

I'm currently perusing through a bunch of Air Enthusiast International magazines. In the May 1974, mention is made of the Kawasaki KH-7. For further details see attached copy of text from this magazine

 

[hesham]

Nice Info Victor.

 

[blackkite]

Japanese wikipedia says that...
"Kawasaki developed the KHR-1 as a non-articulated rotor test machine based on KH-4, and used it for research.
KHR-1 started the experiment in 1968, and based on the experiment, seven seater KH-7 mass production was planned, but the plan was interrupted by the influence of the oil crisis.
The KH-7 project became BK117 by joint development with Germany MBB Company in 1977. The results of KHR-1 were kept alive in BK117 and later OH-1."

KH-7 was a twin engine muti purpose helicopter. It's very difficult to find artistic impression or specification for KH-7 in Japanese internet site. (Almost same as BK117? ;D)

KHR-1
http://oh1ninja.la.coocan.jp/details/KHR1/KHR1.html

Kawasaki failed to develop rigid rotor for KH-7 at the day.
http://dtcn-wisdom.jp/yoshiwaka/HELI-4-KHI-herikoputa-kennkyuu-noekishi.pdf

OH-1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_OH-1

"The OH-1 is powered by a pair of Mitsubishi TS1 turboshaft engines, equipped with Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADEC), which drives a four-blade composite main rotor with a bearingless rotor hub along with a Fenestron-type anti-torque tail rotor (an enclosed tail-fan unit). The Fenestron uses eight asymmetrically-spaced blades to reduce both noise and vibration."

Kites, Birds & Stuff - Aircraft of GERMANY - I to M, P. D. Stemp
https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=_5-fBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA864&lpg=PA864&dq=Kawasaki+KH-7+helicopter&source=bl&ots=JfuE-_nAyM&sig=kAPfnORxGnNg9axDZS6fNyjaVC4&hl=ja&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjl3MrM0ajUAhUEmpQKHb-tBmYQ6AEIazAN#v=onepage&q=Kawasaki%20KH-7%20helicopter&f=false


OH-1 Ninja
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WilrMw8ZwQ

 

[blackkite]

Hi! KH-4.
http://www.zuroku.net/meiki100/html/vr/081VR/08100_1_sp.html

After the first flight of the first knockdown of the Bell 47D type in December, Kawasaki KH-4 was a helicopter with four seats based on three seats Bell 47G-3B, and improved flight performance by turbocharger.

 

[hesham]

As I think there was KH-5 & KH-6,right ?.

 

[Apophenia]

As I think there was KH-5 & KH-6,right ?.

I don't think that it was a sequence. KH-4 was for 'Kawasaki Helicopter - 4-seater'; KH-7 was for 'Kawasaki Helicopter - 7-seater'. So, unless Kawasaki was planning for 5- and 6-seaters ...