Nakajima J1-N1, 7334
History
After Japan's surrender in 1945, the U.S. military collected several Japanese aircraft for analysis. Gekko 7334 was among them, transported aboard the USS Barnes to the United States. Upon arrival, it was assigned to Langley Field, Virginia, on December 8, 1945. Subsequently, it was moved to the Air Materiel Depot in Middletown, Pennsylvania, where U.S. engineers overhauled its engines and replaced certain systems with American equivalents. The aircraft was then transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces in June 1946 and underwent flight testing. Afterward, it was stored at Park Ridge, Illinois.
In 1949, Gekko 7334 was donated to the Smithsonian Institution. It remained in storage until 1974, when the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility became available. In 1979, the aircraft was selected for restoration, becoming the second Japanese aircraft to undergo such a process at the Smithsonian, following the restoration of a Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero in 1976. The restoration, which began on September 7, 1979, and concluded on December 14, 1983, required over 17,000 hours of labor. This effort was led by curator Robert C. Mikesh and was among the most complex restoration projects undertaken by the museum at the time. National Air and Space Museum.
Today, Gekko 7334 stands as the only fully restored example of its kind, offering visitors a rare glimpse into Japan's World War II aviation history.