[1992.488.

001] Aircraft - 'NIK2-J Aircraft, Serial Number 343-A-19' NIK2-J Aircraft, Serial Number 343-A-19
Accession Number Accession Date Creator Date Created Object Desciption 1992.488.001 05/11/1992 Creator 1945 One of the few foreign aircraft on display in the museum, the Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden Kai (Violet Lightning Modified) is a veteran of combat during World War II, making it one of the most interesting and unique aircraft in the collection. Restored using the original metalwork that was on the aircraft in 1945, it appears much as it did when Japanese pilots flew it during the Second World War. In 1943 the Kawanishi Aircraft Company began preliminary design work on an advanced version of its N1K1-J Shiden (Violet Lightning) Interceptor Fighter. The resulting aircraft, designated the N1K2-J Shiden Kai (Violet Lightning Modified), incorporated a number of modifications, including shortened landing gear and redesigned tail surfaces and fuselage. First flown on 31 December 1943, the N1K2-J was soon accepted by the Imperial Japanese Navy for use in the defense of the Home Islands. By war's end over 400 examples of the aircraft had been built. Although the N1K2-J equipped only a small number of kokutais (land-based naval air groups), it became well known to Allied pilots, who considered it a capable adversary. Their codename for the aircraft was George, the same one applied to its predecessor, the N1K1-J. The museum's Shiden Kai was produced at the Naruo Factory of the Kawanishi Aircraft Company. In early 1945, it was delivered to the 343rd Kokutai, an elite fighter unit headquartered on Shikoku Island and tasked with the aerial defense of Kure Naval Base and areas around Hiroshima. Called the "Squadron of Experts", the 343rd was commanded by Captain Minoru Genda, the mastermind behind the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Forward deployed with the 343rd during the Allied invasion of Okinawa in spring 1945, this aircraft saw extensive combat against both carrier-based fighters and land-based bombers. Among the pilots who flew it was Warrant Officer Mitsuo Hori, an ace with 11 aerial victories. Following the Japanese surrender in September 1945, the U.S. military took possession of about 145 Japanese aircraft of various types for evaluation. The museum's N1K2-J, along with one other George, was transferred from Omura Air Base on Kyushu to Yokosuka Naval Base south of Tokyo. In November 1945 the pair joined four other Georges, as well as other captured types, aboard the escort carrier Barnes (CVE 20) for transport to the United States. The museum's aircraft, after spending time at Naval Air Test Center Patuxent River, Maryland, and Naval Proving Ground Dahlgren, Virginia, was eventually placed in storage at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia. Transferred to the New England Air Museum in 1974, it was received by the National Museum of Naval Aviation in November 1992. The restoration of the aircraft preserves almost all of its original components. Most of the skin panels have been retained, which is evidenced by the numerous dents and hastily applied repair patches that are visible. Proof of the aircraft's combat days appears in the form of a .50 caliber bullet hole on the forward section of the right wing. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the aircraft is the imprint of a poem, written in Japanese script, which was found etched in the metal on the rear portion of the left side of the fuselage. Likely written by a Japanese pilot, the poem reads "Though my life may end over the South Pacific Ocean, my thoughts turn to the many springs gone by and those yet to come." Creator Role

Manufacturer

This aircraft is one of only four N1K2-J Shiden Kais known to exist in the world and is the most complete, authentic, and historic of the surviving examples. Notes Though it was an aircraft that could hold its own in combat against its Allied counterparts, the N1K2-J appeared too late to alter the outcome of World War II for the Japanese. First flown on 31 December 1943, the aircraft appeared as an improved version of the N1K1-J Shiden, with shortened landing gear, and redesigned tail surfaces and fuselage. Under the Allied codenaming system for Japanese aircraft, it was called "George." With the primary mission of protecting the Home Islands, the over 400 examples produced served primarily with kokutais (land-based naval air groups), including the 343rd under the command of Pearl Harbor planner Captain Minoru Genda. An elite fighter unit whose ranks included many of Japan's top aces, it was known as the "Squadron of Experts," and participated in extensive combat operations during the Allied invasion of Okinawa in spring 1945. Specifications for N1K2-J Manufacturer: Kawanishi Aircraft Company Dimensions: Length: 30 ft., 7 29/32 in.; Height: 12 ft, 11 29/32 in.; Wingspan: 39 ft., 4 7/16 in. Weights: Empty: 5,858 lb.; Gross: 10,714 lb. Power Plant: One 1,990 horsepower Nakajima NK9H engine Performance: Maximum Speed: 369 M.P.H. at 18,375 ft.; Service Ceiling: 35,300 ft.; Range: 1,488 miles Armament: Four fixed forward-firing 20mm cannon Crew: Pilot Multimedia

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