Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
At the start of World War II, the Japanese Navy had the world's best equipped naval air arm with ten aircraft carriers and over 1,800 combat aircraft, including fighters, carrier strike aircraft, land-based bombers, and seaplanes. The pilots and aircrews were highly trained and many had experience fighting in China.

During the first six months of the war, aircraft of the Japanese Navy successfully eliminated Allied sea and air power from the Western Pacific and Eastern Indian Oceans. As the war progressed the Navy's training program could not keep up with the increasing pilot and aircrew losses. The poorly trained replacements were more easily shot down by Allied forces. During the last months of the war Navy Air Service conducted Kamikaze attacks against Allied ships and attempted to defend the Japanese home islands from the American bombing campaign. The Japanese Navy lost over 15,000 pilots and aircrew during World War II.

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service: Summer Flying Suit (Replica)
This replica flying suit represents the Japanese Navy Air Service two-piece light wool flyging suit. The flight helmet is an early war Model Type 30 summer helmet made from cowhide leather. The flying boots were unique to Navy flight crews and were available in black or brown leather. The float vest is constructed of cloth chambers filled with a buoyant fiber harvested from the topical Ceba tree.