The J2M3 Raiden "Jack" Fighter

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#1

I did a search and was surprised no one has discussed this Japanese airplane yet. I am reading a book (fiction) called “To the White Sea” and it is one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read, despite the fact that it’s fiction, it still uses historical elements to place the main character in a realistic setting. Last I heard, they were going to make this into a movie. Anyways, the book mentions the Japanese “Jack” Fighters. Does anyone know more about these aircraft? The book says these were probably Japan’s best fighters.

Thoughts?

#2

Well, it was a very good one, but The best ? not sure. It was the navy based interceptor.

Mitsubishi JM2 “raiden”

Although designed to a 1939 requirement, at a time when Japanese war leaders scarcely imagined a situation requiring a home defence fighter, the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden (thunderbolt) only came into its own while defending the Japanese homeland against American raids in the last year of the war.

The Japanese navy’s emphasis upon speed and climb rate, rather than its customary demands for range and
manoeuvrability, prompted the designer Jiro Hinkoshi to adopt a squat single-engine design with long-chord radial engine cowling, laminar-flow
wings and high-raked, curved windscreen.

First flight of the prototype J2M1 took place on 20 March 1942, but
the aircraft soon attracted criticism from navy pilots on numerous counts, not least that the view from the cockpit
was inadequate. Modifications to rectify these shortcomings were delayed owing to Mitsubishi’s preoccupation with the A6M.

Production J2M2 fighters left the factory slowly and entered service
with the 381st Kokutai late in 1943, and were followed by the J2M3 with a stronger wing stressed to mount four
20-mm cannon. The heavier armament now restricted the performance of the Raiden to the extent that it no longer
met the original demands, and the J2M4 was an attempt to restore the performance by including a turbocharger.

The final production variant, the J2M5 (34 built), was powered by a 1357-kW (1,820-hp) Mitsubishi Kasei 26a radial.
In all, 476 J2Ms were built.

In acknowledgement of the fact that J2Ms couldnot combat the Boeing B-29s at their operating altitudes, some J2M3s were armed with two upward-firing 20-mmcannon in addition to their wing guns.
(The Allies selected the reporting name ‘Jack’ for the J2M).

Specification

Mitsubishi J2M3

Type: single-seat fighter
Powerplant: one 1342-kW(l,800-hp)
Mitsubishi Kasei 23a radial piston
engine
Performance: maximum speed
588 km/h (365 mph) at 5300 m
(17,388 ft); climb to 10000 m (32,808 ft)
in 19.5 minutes; service ceiling
11700 m (38,386 ft); range 925 km (575
miles)
Weights: empty 2460 kg (5,423 lb);
normal loaded 3435 kg (7,573 lb)
Dimensions: span 10.80 m (35 ft 5.2 in);
length 9.95 m (32 ft 7.7 in); height
3.95 m (12 ft 11.5 in); wing area
20.05 m2 215.82 sq ft)
Armament: four wing-mounted 20-mm
Type 99 cannon; some aircraft were
also armed with two upward-firing 20-
mm Type 99 cannon

Source: Enciclopedya weapons WW2.

#3

I have a scale model of the Jack. It looks small from the size of the canopy bot the canopy of the J2 is awfuly big and wide compared to other planes of that time so don’t get your hopes up for getting Jack in to your garage.:mrgreen:

#4

This one fast plane from Japan Arsenal,… but i like still the nimble A6

#5

Zeros were good but japan forgot to move on like the Germans.

#6

The Raidens story reason was the big Kasei Bomber engine. The navy realise the need of a advanced and high altitude fighter.
So Mitsubishi create a Alluminium hull to cover that big engine. The design look stubby like a barrel and because of the need of a streamline design the nose section and propeller shaft become soooo long. Turbo charged and with more modifications it was a real power-egg :mrgreen:.

#7

An egg indeed…

#8

The range on the darn thing seems to have been (unsurprisingly) very limited. Stats for a late model (M5) on wikipedia has the range at 348 miles–just barely enough for combat in the vicinity of the airfield. Probably one reason why people hadn’t heard of this too much. This seems considerably less than the data posted elsewhere, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_J2M

Fairly detailed information on the the Raiden’s development at the following site, from Joe Baugher.

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Elevon/baugher_other/j2m.html

#9

Saburo Sakai fought in one of these and downed one b-29, its not confirmed though.

#10

Hi,

New guy here. I live in Southern California, U.S.A. and volunteer at the Planes of Fame Museum, every Saturday in Chino, CA.

In addition to flying many WWII aircraft, we have some vary rare birds on display.

Our Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero is the only one in the world still flying on the original Nakajima Sakae engine, and it flies very well indeed. We have no interest in a full power test since the engine is so rare. We have two Sakae engines, but the second one is kept as spare parts.

We just happen to have the only Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden alive and well in the world today. It is a large fighter, in size near to but not quite as big as a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. The canopy is VERY wide and large, and it is a very formidable-looking beast. Well armed.

Unfortunately, the main spar has too much corrosion or we would have returned it to flight status already. To do so now would mean drilling out all the wing skins and installing a new main spar … and there is no guarantee we could get the engine running. We like things authentic at Planes of Fame, so there would be almost no way the Musuem staff would return the J2M3 to flight using an American engin … it would be the original or nothing.

However ,you are all invited to come see it. We also have a genuine Mitsubishi J8M Shusui, one of only seven ever built, complete with landing gear and engine. It was the first plane in the collection that Ed Maloney started in the 1950s.

We have a real Heinkel He-162, a 100% full scale replica of the Me-163 and Heinkel He-100D, and a 100% full scale Bachem Natter rocket interceptor.

We also have a crashed Mitsubishi Betty bomber and a Fiesler Storch that only lacks a running Argus engine to be airworthy.

We are working on returning a Bell P-59A Airacomet to flight status, and it should fly within a year, and I am also on a team working to return a Hispano Ha-1112 Buchon to flight status, probably painted up as a Bf 109. It was groundlooped while filming the 2000 movie “Pearl Harbor,” and is now back on the gear, the wings are being stripped in preparation for paint, and it, too, should be flying within a year.

So … c’mon over to Chino and check it out!

Ask for Greg on any Saturday and I’ll show you around.

#11

Awesome GregP!!! Do you have plans of the Sakae engine that i can use?

#12

Hi. Actually, I don’t know if we have plans or not. I’ll ask this coming weekend.

If we DO have plans, I may or may not be allowed to take them, copy them, and dissiminate them. I suppose it would depend on Mitsubishi’s copyrights.

We do have pilot’s manuals for a LOT of aircraft, but they are not generally for loan to volunteers … they are there for maintenance, active pilots, and the museum staff’s reference.

So … I’ll check. If nothing else, we may have a good cutaway, but that is NOT the same as plans … I know that.

#13

OK, I asked Steve Hinton today if he had planes or a good cutaway of teh Sakae engine in the Zero. He said he had a manual at home tat was not for loan, but that he would check … and if there was a good plan or cutaway, he’s make me a copy for scanning and dissemination.

So … we’ll see. Steve Hinton is a busy man and there is no guarantee he’ll be at the museum on any particular Saturday.

I may have something in a week or few … maybe not …