The Kawasaki KH-4 was a light

utility helicopter A utility helicopter is a multi-purpose helicopter capable of fulfilling many different roles. Civil Many civilian helicopters are made for utility work such as agricultural aircraft. Many police and fire departments maintain and operate utili ...

produced in Japan in the 1960s as a development of the

Bell 47 The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first he ...

that Kawasaki had been building under licence since 1952. The most visible difference between the KH-4 and its forerunner was its new and enlarged cabin. This was fully enclosed (although the side doors were removable) and provided seating for three passengers side-by-side on a bench seat behind the pilot's seat. The helicopter was provided with a new control system, revised instrumentation, and larger

fuel tank A fuel tank (also called a petrol tank or gas tank) is a safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelle ...

. A total of 211 KH-4s were built, including four that were modified from existing Bell 47Gs. The vast majority of these were bought by civil operators, although some were purchased by the military forces of Japan and Thailand.

Operators

; *

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...

- 14 *

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

* Maritime Safety Agency - 6 ; * Thai Air Force

Specifications

References

* * * * * {{Thai helicopter designations 1960s Japanese civil utility aircraft

KH-4 The CORONA program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force. The COR ...

1960s Japanese helicopters Aircraft first flown in 1962 Single-engined piston helicopters

Operators

Specifications

See also

References