Description
The current Blue Impulse began on October 19, 1958, when three F-86Fs performed aerobatics at an air festival held at Hamamatsu Kita Air Base .
On April 16, 1960, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force established the Air Mobility Research Group at the 1st Air Wing at Hamamatsu Base, and an
aerobatic team using the F-86F Saber was created under the name Tenryu.
This team, which used the F-86F, later
changed its name to Blue Impulse, which used the call sign Impulse
Blue, and became known around the world by depicting the Olympic Games and EXPO'70 in the sky. .
After this, he performed many aerobatic flights all over Japan, but from the 1982 season he handed over the baton to the domestic jet trainer T-2
in place of the aging F-86F . The T-2's speedy aerobatic flight attracted many fans. The Blue Impulse team, which has been using the F-86F and T-2, has changed to the latest domestic jet trainer T-4 since the 1996 season.
The T-4, which is capable of aerial maneuverability comparable to that of the F-15, presents us as an audience with even more advanced and exciting performances.
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Crew: 2 people
Overall width: 9.9m
Overall length: 13.0m (including pitot tube), 12.0m (excluding pitot tube)
Overall height: 4.6m
Engine: Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries F3-IHI-30
Thrust: 1,600kg x2
standard takeoff Weight: 5,530kg
Maximum speed: Mach 0.9 (altitude 10,000m)
First flight (XT-4 No. 1): July 29, 1985
