Mitsubishi J2M Raiden – Photos & Video

Čaj Mitsubishi J2M Raiden was a single-engined land-based fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The Allied reporting name was “Jack”. The J2M was designed by Jiro Horikoshi, creator of the A6M Zero, to meet the 14-Shi (14th year of the Showa reign, or 1939) official specification. It was to be a strictly 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 manoeuvrability. The J2M was a sleek, but stubby craft with its oversized Mitsubishi Kasei engine buried behind a long cowling, cooled by an intake fan and connected to the propeller with an extension shaft.

Izvor: Mitsubishi J2M Raiden on Wikipedia

The Mitsubishi J2M Raiden was a single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Jiro Horikoshi for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. The J2M was intended to be a high-altitude interceptor capable of engaging American bombers such as the B-29 Superfortress. The J2M had a distinctive appearance with its long nose, large propeller and short wings.
The J2M was powered by a Mitsubishi Kasei 23 radial engine that produced 1,820 horsepower and gave it a top speed of 655 km/h. The J2M was armed with two 7.7 mm machine guns in the nose and two 20 mm cannons in the wings. The J2M entered service in 1944 and saw combat in the Philippines, Okinawa and Japan. However, the J2M suffered from various technical problems and was outnumbered by Allied fighters. Only 621 J2Ms were built before Japan surrendered in 1945.