Aichi Seiran
Restoration Home Page
Fuselage
Wings
Ailerons
Floats
Interesting Finds
 
The Aichi Seiran aircraft were specially designed for deployment from I-400 class Japanese super-submarines. The planes can "fold" down to fit in an 11-foot 6-inch hangar tube. They were designed to bomb the locks of the Panama Canal during World War II. While twenty-eight Aichi Seirans were built, none ever flew a combat mission. The last remaining Aichi Seiran is undergoing restoration at the National Air and Space Museum's Garber Facility.


Restoration Projects
Garber Home Page
National Air and Space Museum Home Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[all images copyright Smithsonian]


80k JPEG
2000 Smithsonian Institution
#W2000CM0018

Restoration of the Aichi Seiran was completed in 2000. Click on the menu at left to see photos of the restoration. The aircraft was moved to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in April of 2003.

May 2000
The top left photo shows the completed Seiran on display in the workshop. The final touch was the completion of the aircraft stand which supports the floats and allows easier movement of the aircraft.

March 2000
This photo (bottom left) shows the completed aircraft after the floats were added in February, 2000. The photo was taken before the stand was added. No reproductions available.
     


Model, 76k JPEG, #W1998CM00016

A beautiful example of Tamiya's 1/48 scale model of the Aichi Seiran (left) completed by restoration specialist Karl Heinzel (right) who completed restoration on the wings of the real aircraft.

Karl, 88k JPEG, #W1998CM00017
 

Interesting Finds

Sometimes during artifact restoration, unexpected items are found. This image of a geisha is engraved into a piece of the Aichi Seiran fuselage skin. Documents were also found in the fuel tank. See more about the interesting items found on and in the Seiran.

[all images copyright Smithsonian]