A WWII Imperial Japanese Navy fighter plane was lifted from the ocean with its wings and engine still intact, 80 years after it was lost in combat.

This Shiden-Kai crashed off the coast of Kagoshima Prefecture on April 21, 1945. The pilot, Lieutenant Hayashi Yoshishige, was killed on impact. Its location had long been known, as it sat on the seabed less than 10 feet deep and was even visible on clear days.

After the plane spent a lifetime submerged in teal waters, a local heritage group organized a salvage project to recover the rare Japanese aircraft. Edit: The technologically advanced military plane withstood the water better than originally expected.

With the majority of the body preserved, salvagers attached cables to each of its sections. Using a crane, they pulled the aircraft from the seabed on Wednesday morning; it was a sight to behold as the “grey ghost” hovered above the teal waters off the coast of Kagoshima Prefecture, as an eerie reminder of its crash long ago.

The team hopes the aircraft, beyond providing insight into wartime aviation, will impart wisdom regarding the real consequences of war during this time of global unrest. Currently resting on a barge, it will soon be moved to a port for conservation.

Designed to defeat the US

In December 1941, Kawanishi’s engineering team had almost completed the designs for the “new and improved” Japanese floatplane fighter.

The Allies called the Shiden-Kai “George”—a seemingly approachable, if not harmless, name for a plane the Japanese dubbed “Violet Lightning-Improved.”

This heavily armed and maneuverable fighter represented the significant strides the Japanese made in advancing technology during the war.

After its first flight following Christmas in 1942, only 1,435 of these fighters were produced before the war ended, as per the National Naval Aviation Museum.

Equipped with two fuselage-mounted 7.7mm machine guns and four 20mm cannons, the Shiden-Kai was developed to improve Japanese defense. Its revised wing configuration and improved handling gave it impressive maneuverability and range, making it a worthy adversary.

“The new design was powered by an 18-cylinder Nakajima Homare radial, expected to deliver 2,000 horsepower, with an 11 ft. four-blade propeller, greatly increasing performance,” the National Naval Aviation Museum describes.

One Shiden-Kai, or “George,” even single-handedly attacked 12 US F6F Hellcats, eliminating four and forcing the others to break contact.

Shiden-Kai, a symbol of the consequences of war

However, it still had shortcomings, such as its late production and material shortages, which thwarted its ability to challenge the U.S. air stronghold, Heritage Daily reports.

“The large propeller, combined with the mid-fuselage wing, dictated long undercarriage legs, the arrangement resulting in landing gear problems,” the National Naval Aviation Museum continues.

“Bombings by B-29 Superfortresses in the war’s later months further eroded the aircraft’s effectiveness by destroying aircraft and engine plants,” which meant only a limited number of these WWII fighters were made, most of which were used to defend the Home Islands.

While the plane is docked at port, the team will spend the next year drawing out salt deposits in a specially designed tank before finally exhibiting the aircraft to encourage viewers to meditate on the ramifications of war.

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