Mitsubishi J2M

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The Mitsubishi J2M "Raiden" (雷電, "Thunderbolt") was a single-engine, land-based fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The Allied codename was "Jack".

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Variants 3 Survivors 4 Operators 5 Specifications (J2M5) 6 Sources 7 External links 8 Related content

[edit] Design and development

The J2M was designed by Jiro Horikoshi, creator of the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero". It was strictly a local-defense interceptor intended to counter the threat of high-altitude bomber raids, and thus relied on speed, climb performance, and armament at the expense of maneuverability. The J2M was a sleek but stubby craft with its over-sized Mitsubishi Kasei engine buried behind a long cowling, cooled by an intake fan and connected to the propeller with a long extension shaft. Pilot visibility was poor.

[edit] Variants

• J2M1 : Prototype fitted with the 1,400 hp Mitsubishi MK4C Kasei 13 fourteen-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, and armed with two 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns in the upper fuselage and two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model II cannon.
• J2M2 : Fitted with the 1,820 hp Mitsubishi MK4R-A Kasei 23a fourteen-cylinder radial engine, same armament as the J2M1.
• J2M3 : Mitsubishi MK4R-A Kasei 23a engine, two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model II cannon and two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model I cannon.
• J2M3a : Mitsubishi MK4R-A Kasei 23a engine, four wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model II cannon.
• J2M4 : Prototype fitted with the 1,820 hp Mitsubishi MK4R-C Kasei 23c engine, fuselage-mounted oblique-firing 20 mm Type 99 Model I cannon designed to fire upward as it passed underneath a bomber, two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannon, and two wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannon (some J2M3's where also modified in the field to this configuration).
• J2M5 : Increased size, weight and speed at the expense of shorter range (just over half that of the J2M2 and J2M3), turbocharged 1,820 hp Mitsubishi MK4U-A Kasei 26a engine, two 20mm Type 99 cannon in fuselage, two 20mm Type 99 Model II cannon in wings.
• J2M5a : Four wing-mounted 20 mm Type 99 Model II cannon. Now all four wing cannon were harmonized in trajectory and ballistics performance like the Shiden fighters, but with more ammunition than they had (200 v. 70-125 rpg). The 20x101 cartridge gave the 128 g HE (6-8%) projectile an effective range of 1,000 m and a muzzle velocity of 750 m/s. The rate of fire was only 500 rpm each however (down from 520 rpm for the Type 99 Model I which only had a muzzle velocity of 600 m/s and a range of 730 m with its 20x72 cartridge).

[edit] Survivors

A surviving J2M is on display at the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, California.

[edit] Operators

•  Japan: Imperial Japanese Navy

[edit] Specifications (J2M5)

General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Length: 9.95 m (32 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 10.80 m (35 ft 5 in)
• Height: 3.94 m (13 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 20 m² (216 ft²)
• Empty weight: 2,839 kg (6,259 lb)
• Loaded weight: 3,482 kg (7,676 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Mitsubishi MK4U-4 Kasei 26a 14-cylinder radial engine, 1,358 kW (1,820 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 615 km/h (382 mph)
• Range: 560 km (348 miles)
• Service ceiling: 11,250 m (36,910 ft)
• Rate of climb: 1,170 m/min (3,838 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 174 kg/m² (35 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.39 kW/kg (0.24 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2 × 20 mm Type 99 cannon in fuselage
• 2 × 20 mm Type 99 Model II cannon in wings, approx 200 rpg.
• 2 × 60 kg (132 lb) bombs or 2 × 200 liter drop tanks.

[edit] Sources

• The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft, Barnes & Noble, 1977 ISBN 0 7607 0592 5

[edit] External links

• http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/j2m.htm

[edit] Related content

 

Comparable aircraft

• Nakajima Ki-44

Designation sequence

J1M - J2M - J3M - J4M - J5M -