J2M3

J2M3

J7W1

J2M5

J2M3

J7W1

J2M5

Japan

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
6.3	5.7	5.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:54 000

Purchase:185 000

Show in game

This page is about the Japanese fighter J2M3. For other versions, see J2M (Family).

Description

The J2M3 Raiden is a rank IV Japanese fighter with a battle rating of 6.3 (AB), 5.7 (RB), and 5.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals".

Engine information on the left. Orientation in the centre. Flight info on the right. Easy!
The J2M3 continues the good cockpit visibility featured on all Japanese fighters.

Unlike its other Naval brethren in the Japanese tech tree, the Raiden possesses a top speed rivalling that of the P-51 D-5 Mustang. Although a stubby and small aircraft, the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden can be considered one of the best Japanese fighters in War Thunder. Wielding four 20 mm cannons, this aircraft can spell death for any enemy it encounters. However, the main advantage the Raiden has over its Allied counterparts is its climb rate. In realistic battles, the J2M3 can climb to altitude very fast, especially when given an air start. Once at a high altitude, the Raiden pilot can pick and choose targets, dictating where and when they want to fight. The J2M3's 20 mm cannons may seem lacklustre at first, but they have a knack for snapshots or quick bursts of fire that result in a kill when manoeuvring. Generally, the J2M3 performs similarly to the early Fw 190 A variants, having a deadly armament, good roll rate, low top speed, but higher climb rate. Use what the Raiden does best to achieve success - energy fighting. This aircraft is not built for turn-fighting and when does, will lose all built up energy or speed in turns. Attack enemies from a higher altitude and then regain that altitude once the attack has been delivered. The J2M3 excels at Boom & Zoom attacks due to its high rate of climb and deadly armament.

The Raiden aircraft's main downside is its lack of manoeuvrability at higher speeds. Similar to its German counterpart, the Fw 190 A-8, the Raiden struggles to beat enemies in turn fights, especially Spitfires although one shouldn't turn with a Spitfire in general. If caught in a sticky situation, the Raiden pilot may choose to dive away or seek help from teammates. Trying to fight an enemy Spitfire in a turn battle with the J2M is a terrible idea unless the enemy aircraft is damaged or many teammates are nearby. Moreover, the J2M's high-speed manoeuvrability is poor, making the entire aircraft lock up. It can be very difficult to pull out of a dive, roll, or turn when at high speeds with the J2M. The Raiden's manoeuvrability is more or less on par with its enemies in simulator battles, for the most part.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 5,500 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	571	551	11500	19.8	20.5	16.0	16.0	300
Upgraded	625	596		18.8	19.0	28.5	21.3

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	350	515	515	280	~11	~8

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 390	< 400	< 420	> 324

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,203 m	1,680 hp	1,999 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
5,400 m	1,560 hp	1,856 hp

Survivability and armour

• 70 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
• 8.5 mm Steel plate in pilot's headrest

Armaments

Offensive armament

The J2M3 is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons, wing-mounted (210 rpg = 420 total)
• 2 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannons, wing-mounted (190 rpg = 380 total)

Suspended armament

The J2M3 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 bombs (120 kg total)
• 2 x Type 3 No.1 Mod.28 Mk.1 rockets
• 2 x Type 5 No.1 Mod.9 rockets
• 2 x Type 3 No.6 Mod.27 Mk.1 rockets
• 2 x Type 5 No.6 Mod.9 rockets

Usage in battles

Featuring two 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannons and two 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons with plenty of ammunition, the J2M3 is capable of destroying all kinds of aircraft. Although destroying heavy bombers like the B-29 Superfortress takes a lot of ammunition, the J2M3 can afford to lose some. The "Stealth" belt has the best combination of AP/API and HEF to shred enemy aircraft and are recommended for those who do not need a tracer shell to aim. Alternatively, for those not used to IJN 20 mms, the "Universal" belt is your best bet. The "Tracer" belt is filled with HEF-T shells, but they only contain half of the power of a standard HEF, and can give away your position.

For ground attack, the J2M3 can equip two 60 kg bombs under the wings. While not the biggest, these bombs can help a team win a match, especially in arcade battles. The J2M3 can also wield armour piercing ground targets ammunition for its 20 mm cannons, although 21 mm of penetration is nothing to boast about and should be ignored unless targeting armoured personnel carriers (APC) or similar armoured cars.

Overall, the Raiden is best used as a surprise attack, high altitude, high damage output fighter. While it does not excel in the speed or manoeuvrability categories, it makes up for that in armament and rate of climb.

The Raiden pilot may also find themselves outclassed by high altitude aircraft such as the P-51D-5 Mustang. All these aircraft have to do to avoid the J2M is dive away and build up speed, but the J2M3 can generally outturn them with effective use of combat flaps and rudder. Fortunately, the J2M3 has a surprise - a massive ammunition pool totalling 800 rounds. That's 800 rounds of high explosive cannon ammunition that can be dispensed at will towards fleeing enemies. With good aim and practice, it is possible to "snipe" enemies from a kilometre away.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 20 mm		Type 3 No.1 Mod.28 Mk.1 rockets
II		Compressor	Airframe		Offensive 20 mm	Type 5 No.1 Mod.9 rockets
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 20 mm cannons		Type 3 No.6 Mod.27 Mk.1 rockets
IV		Engine injection	Cover		New 20 mm cannons	Type 5 No.6 Mod.9 rockets

• Unlocking all performance modules should be a Raiden pilot's first concern, as the default belts for all weapons are workable. After that, go for the weapon belts, as these make more targets possible (ground units).

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent top speed, although lower than its contemporaries
• Large ammunition pool
• Insanely high climb rate
• Has generally adequate dive characteristics
• Quite excellent energy retention
• Great medium-speed manoeuvrability
• 12 mm armour plate behind the windscreen
• Reasonable roll rate at lower speeds
• Solid armament layout
• Excellent performance at high altitudes

Cons:

• Very poor high-speed performance
• Prone to engine and fuel fires
• Doesn't turn well at higher speeds
• Elevator doesn't respond well, especially at high speeds
• Lack of armour around fuel tanks or engine
• Differing muzzle velocities between the two models of the Type 99 cannon on the J2M3 will require you to lead much further than normal as an order to utilize the full effectiveness of the J2M3's firepower

History

Development

During the China Incident (Sino-Japanese war) the Navy had sustained some damage from Chinese bomber groups as they didn't have any dedicated interceptors at the time, for this reason the Navy put out multiple specifications for planes to deal with threats which the Chinese made clear to the Navy. For bombers specifically they specified for a strictly local-defense interceptor known as the 14-Shi Interceptor.

The designer behind the A6M, Jiro Horikoshi and his team started development on this specification. But due the harsh unrealistic specifications for mainly engine output required for the team to use a strong engine which wasn't available yet and with the oversized engine required for the task resulted in a sleek but stubby plane.

After the initial J2M1 prototypes outfitted with the 1,044 kW Mitsubishi MK4C Kasei 13 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine and didn't come near the specification requirements, engine vibrations coming from the cooling system and a troublesome undercarriage design held it back from being used as a production model.

The J2M2 Model 11 was outfitted with 1,379 kW Mitsubishi MK4R-A Kasei 23a 14-cylinder radial engine which somewhat overcame the teething problems but still didn't reach the requirements, overburdened with engine problems and electrical malfunctions in the landing gear remained.

Mitsubishi wanted to make the best of it and get out the J2Ms into combat service before it was officially adopted in the Navy. Engine problems and performance were only further resolved in further modifications.

The J2M3 Model 21 was developed parallel with the J2M2 Model 11 with improved armament of four 20 mm Type 99's in the wings (two Model 1s and two Model 2s).

Combat History

Production of the J2M3 Model 21 was parallel with the J2M2 Model 11 and the first J2M3s appeared in October 1943 but deliveries to combat units started at the beginning of February 1944.

Furthermore, the J2M2 and J2M3 saw limited action in the Philippines, although it was largely ineffective due to the limited initial production batch and design flaws.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the J2M3 from live.warthunder.com.

Images

• 

  J2M3 in USAAF Livery

Videos

The Shooting Range #178 - Pages of History section at 04:36 discusses the J2M "Raiden".

Best after-party picks discusses the J2M3 at 2:47 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Related development

• Mitsubishi J2M2 (previous model)
• Mitsubishi J2M4 Kai (following model)

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.

Mitsubishi Company (三菱商会)
Fighters	A5M4 · Hagiri's A5M4
	A6M2 mod. 11 · A6M2 · A6M3 · A6M3 mod. 22 · A6M3 mod. 22Ko · A6M5 · A6M5 Ko · A6M5 otsu · A6M5 Hei · A6M6c
	A7M1 (NK9H) · A7M2
	J2M2 · J2M3 · J2M4 Kai · J2M5 · J2M5 (30 mm)
Hydroplanes	F1M2
Interceptors	Ki-83 · Ki-109
Bombers	G4M1
	Ki-21-Ia · Ki-21-I hei · Ki-67-I Ko · Ki-67-I otsu
Jet Fighters	Ki-200
Captured	▃A6M2 · ␗A6M2
See also	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Post-War)