The Kawanishi N1K-J Shiden (“Violet Lightning”) was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service land-based version of the N1K. Assigned the Allied codename “George”, the N1K-J was considered by both its pilots and opponents to be one of the finest land-based fighters flown by the Japanese during World War II.

The N1K possessed a heavy armament and, unusual for a Japanese fighter, could absorb considerable battle damage. The N1K-J evenly matched the F6F Hellcat and was a better match than the A6M Zero for such aircraft as the F4U Corsair and P-51 Mustang. Despite such capability, it was produced too late and in insufficient numbers to affect the outcome of the war.

About This Subject: Located at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, “A-343-19”, complete walk around, several overhead shots, gear, surface detail, canopy detail, no interior.

Walk-Around Information
Number of Images: 49
Resolution: 1200 dpi
Download Type: .zip file
Download Size: 29.4 Megabytes