Yamaha Motor Co and ShinMaywa Industries have conducted an early-stage test flight of a prototype small aircraft at Fujikawa Gliding Field in Shizuoka Prefecture.

This flight was run as part of the joint research project for small aircraft begun by both companies last year. The aircraft tested was an R&D aircraft owned by ShinMaywa, the XU-L (Experimental Utility aircraft- Large type), which was equipped with an existing 499cc engine manufactured by Yamaha Motor.

Following the success of this early-stage test flight, both companies plan to continue this joint research endeavor.

ShinMaywa also recently completed the first flight of a small drone, the XU-M. This is based on amphibian technology that the company has cultivated over many years, and is being developed with the aim of promoting research related to sensing and control of amphibians, and accumulating various data related to remote operation and the ocean.