The Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden - Kai was developed from the 'Kyofu' floatplane fighter. In modifying the floatplane to a land fighter, the Japanese first developed an aircraft with long landing gear to accommodate its original mid-wing design. Later, to the relief of Japanese pilots, the design was again modified to a low-wing configuration; shortening the length of the landing gear struts, which were originally so long as to be structurally weak.
The Shiden-Kai had formidable armament: 4 x 20mm cannons, two to each wing. When its Homare engine was functioning correctly, it boasted performance that was a threat to any allied aircraft in the sky.
Some folks refer to it as to the 'Japanese P-47', due to its outline (It did bear a resemblance at a distance of a bubble-top P-47 due to its fairly short and squat fuselage) though it was nowhere nearly as large as a P-47.
