HOME > Guidebooks > Product Museum > The Story of Flying Boats
A flying boat serves as both an airplane and a boat. Until now it has been rare that the average person had a chance to see a flying boat. Before the start of World War II, this aircraft played a leading role in air transport on the routes across the North Atlantic, across the Pacific and from Japan to Saipan and Saigon. Even today, flying boats continue to play important roles, in rescue activities at sea and in transporting sick people from remote islands that do not have airstrips. Let us introduce some episodes of the story of flying boats, illustrated by aviation cartoonist Nobuo Shimoda.
The history of ShinMaywa as an manufacturer
The history of ShinMaywa Industries Ltd. started in 1918 with the limited partnership Nippon Aircraft Manufacturing, the first aircraft manufacturer in Japan. The company then became the Aircraft Division of Kawanishi Machine Manufacturing Company, and in 1928 went independent as Kawanishi Aircraft Company Limited. Until the end of World War II Kawanishi built 2,862 aircraft, including the Model 90 Flying Boat, the first flying boat to be built in Japan; the Model 91 Flying Boat, the 97 Large Flying Boat, the Type 2 Flying Boat and the Shiden-kai.
After the war ended, the company name was changed to Shin Meiwa Industries Ltd. Shin Meiwa built the PS-1 Antisubmarine Flying Boat, of which two were built as prototypes and 21 in regular production, and today is building the US-1A STOL Search and Rescue Amphibian. Efforts are under way to develop the new model of the US-1A STOL Search and Rescue Amphibian for the early 21st century.