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".

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 maneuvrability. The J2M was a sleek but stubby craft with its oversized Mitsubishi Kasei engine buried behing a long cowling, cooled by an intake fan and connected to the propeller with a long extension shaft. Pilot visibility was poor.

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

[edit] Specifications (J2M5)

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[edit] 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: 2,839 kg (6,259 lb)
Loaded: 3,482 kg (7,676 lb)
Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
Powerplant: 1x Mitsubishi MK4U-4 Kasei 26a 14-cylinder radial, 1,358 kW (1,820 hp)

[edit] Performance

Maximum speed: 615 km/h (382 mph)
Maximum speed: 698 km/h(Test/USA・AirForce)(434 mph)
Range: 560-1260 km (348-783 miles)
Service ceiling: 11,250 m (36,910 ft)
Rate of climb: 1,170 m/min (3,838 ft/min). 6,000 m (19,685 ft) / 6 min 20 sec.
Wing loading: 174 kg/m² (35 lb/ft²)
Power/Mass: 0.39 kW/kg (0.24 hp/lb)

[edit] Armament

2x 20 mm Type 99-II Mk 4 cannon in each wing. Ammo: 200 rpg approx. A 3rd oblique mounted cannon in some interceptors could fire upward as it passed underneath a bomber.

The Type 99-I pair of the J2M3 mix were dropped from the J2M5. Now all 4 wing cannon were harmonized in trajectory and ballistics performance like the Shiden fighters but with more ammo than they had (200 vs 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 99-I Mk 4 which only had a muzzle velocity of 600 m/s and a range of 730 m with its 20x72 cartridge).