The Japanese fighter that flew only 45 minutes before the war ended

Wars & Conflicts · Published 17 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Imagine a plane designed to intercept the most advanced bombers of the era, featuring a radical pusher-propeller layout and nose canards. The Kyūshū J7W Shinden was an engineering marvel of the late war—a high-performance interceptor that barely saw the sky before history moved on.

To counter Boeing B-29 Superfortress attacks, the Imperial Japanese Navy created the Shinden, which utilised a distinct layout including rear fuselage wings, a pusher engine, and a canard on its nose. The design concept originated in early 1943 with Lieutenant Commander Masayoshi Tsuruno, who envisioned a layout that could eventually be retrofitted with turbojet engines as they became available.

The Navy validated the canard design through several gliders, including the Yokosuka MXY6, before commissioning the Kyushu Aircraft Company to build the J7W. Construction on the first two prototypes began in June 1944. The aircraft was powered by a 2,130 hp Mitsubishi MK9D radial engine mounted behind the cockpit. This unusual placement required an extension shaft for a six-bladed propeller and led to significant cooling challenges while the plane sat on the ground.

The Shinden finally took its maiden flight on August 3, 1945, from Mushiroda Airfield. It flew for only 45 minutes across three short flights—coinciding with the days of the atomic bombings. While successful, the tests revealed issues like torque pull to starboard and vibration in the drive shaft. Only two prototypes were ever completed; one was scrapped, and the other was dismantled by the U.S. Navy before being gifted to the Smithsonian Institution in 1960.

Though it never reached mass production—despite orders for over 1,000 units between 1946 and 1947—the Shinden has left a lasting cultural footprint. It appeared in the manga Oh My Goddess!, various comics, and most recently served as a prominent aircraft in the 2023 film Godzilla Minus One.

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