Blood Red Skies: Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai Squadron

The Kawanishi N1K-2 ‘Shiden Kai’ (“Violet Lightning”) was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force (IJNAF) land-based fighter. Known by the Allied forces as “George”, the N1K-2 was considered to be one of the finest land-based fighters flown by the Japanese. Along with high speed, the Shiden-Kai offered pilots a rugged and agile aircraft packing four powerful 20 mm cannons in the wings. The result was an aircraft more than able to compete on level terms with the latest Allied fighters, such as the F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair, and P-51 Mustang. Supplied in limited quantities, the IJN distributed it to elite units such as the 343rd Kōkūtai Naval Fighter Group (created on the 25 December 1944 and commanded by Minoru Genda). The new 343rd Kōkūtai claimed Japan’s finest fighter pilots such as Muto and Genda. —description from the publisher