J2M5 30mm

J2M5

J2M5

Japan

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.7	5.0	4.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:3 850

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This page is about the premium Japanese fighter J2M5 30mm. For other versions, see J2M (Family).

Description

The J2M5 Raiden is a premium rank IV Japanese fighter with a battle rating of 5.7 (AB), 5.0 (RB), and 4.7 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.51 "Cold Steel".

The premium J2M5 with 2 x 30 mm cannons sits at a favourable BR of 4.7. Unlike its other Naval brethren in the Japanese tech tree, the Raiden possesses a top speed rivalling that of the P-51D-5 Mustang. Although a stubby and small aircraft, the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden can be considered one of the best Japanese fighters in War Thunder. Unlike its predecessors, the premium variant of the J2M5 features a deadly armament of two 30 mm cannons. However, the main advantage the Raiden has over its Allied counterparts is its climb rate. In Realistic Battles, the J2M5 can climb to higher altitudes very quickly, especially when given an air start. This facet of the Raiden's performance is particularly exemplified in the J2M5, the last in-game variant of the Raiden that features the greatest performance of the series. This is partially due to its mechanically-driven supercharger which allows the J2M5 to perform at altitudes once thought impossible by Japanese engineers. Once at a high altitude, it becomes possible to choose when, where, and who you want to fight. The premium J2M5's 30 mm cannons may initially seem rather lacklustre due to the low ammo count but they do an impressive amount of damage upon a successful hit. Generally, the J2M5 performs similarly to the early Fw 190 A variants, having a deadly armament, good roll rate, low top speed, but higher climb rate. The J2M5 differs from this rule slightly as it was built for speed and high-altitude performance. The Raiden is best used as an energy fighter - instead of "turning and burning", or losing all built up speed in turns, attack enemies from a higher altitude and then regain that altitude once the attack has been delivered. The J2M5 excels at Boom & Zoom due to its high rate of climb, deadly armament, and high altitude characteristics.

Sharing this role with other "energy fighters" such as the Fw 190 D-13, the Raiden's main downside is its lack of manoeuvrability. Similar to its aforementioned German counterpart, the Raiden struggles to beat enemies in turn fights, especially Spitfires. 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 turning battle with any J2M is a terrible idea unless the enemy aircraft is damaged or many teammates are nearby. Moreover, the J2M's high-speed manoeuvrability is very poor; often, it becomes a matter of life and death when pulling out of a high-speed dive as the Raiden's elevator authority at high speeds is lacking. The entire aircraft locks up at excess speeds of 645 km/h (400 mph). 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.

The Raiden pilot may also find him or herself outclassed at extreme altitudes by aircraft such as the Ta 152. All these aircraft have to do to avoid the J2M5 is dive away and build up speed. Fortunately, this aircraft has a deadly pair of 30 mm cannons. With good aim and practice, it is possible to "snipe" enemies from upwards of a kilometre away with these weapons.

Overall, the Raiden is best used as a surprise attack, high altitude, high damage output fighter. Where it lacks in the manoeuvrability category, it makes up for in armament and rate of climb.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 6,580 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
585	569	11500	20.2	20.6	12.9	12.9	300
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 6,580 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
646	615	11500	18.5	19.0	23.9	17.5	300

Details

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

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		515	~11	~8

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 400	< 400	< 460	> 324

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,800 m	1,510 hp	1,812 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
5,750 m	1,400 hp	1,680 hp
Setting 3
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
6,200 m	1,310 hp	1,572 hp

Survivability and armour

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

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

Armaments

Offensive armament

The J2M5 30mm is armed with:

• 2 x 30 mm Type 5 navy cannons, wing-mounted (42 rpg = 84 total)

Universal belts contain the most HEF rounds, including HEF-I, and a tracer for ease of aim.

Suspended armament

The J2M5 30mm can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 bombs (120 kg total)

Usage in battles

The premium variant of the J2M5 wields two 30 mm Type 5 cannons in the wings. The stock belts are particularly lacklustre but since this aircraft comes furnished with all modules upon purchase, any other belt can be selected. The best anti-air belts for these weapons are the "Tracers" belt as it is comprised entirely of HE-T rounds.

For ground attack, the J2M5 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 J2M5 can also wield armour-piercing ground targets ammunition (solid practice rounds) for its 30 mm cannons which can easily destroy light and medium tanks.

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 3 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator
II		Compressor	Airframe	Offensive 30 mm
III	Wings repair	Engine
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 30 mm cannons
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decent top speed
• Favourable matchmaking for what it's capable of
• Climbs very well
• 30 mm cannon shells are lethal when they hit
• Reasonably nimble at low and medium speeds
• Has generally good dive characteristics
• 8.5 mm bulletproof glass behind the pilot
• Large, sloped 70 mm bulletproof glass in front of the pilot
• Above-average roll rate at lower speeds
• Slow firing cannons are good for ammo conservation
• Premium rewards
• Relatively low repair cost in realistic and simulator battles

Cons:

• High repair price in arcade mode
• Very poor high-speed performance
• Elevator doesn't respond well at high speeds
• Lack of armour around fuel tanks or engine
• Prone to engine and fuel fires
• Firing the guns slow the plane down immensely
• Cannons are mounted in the wings, resulting in significant convergence issues
• Extremely limited ammunition pool
• Moderate to poor energy retention

History

The J2M Raiden was the result of the Japanese Navy request for an interceptor, the need of which became ever apparent after the experiences with the American raid on the Japanese homeland shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor (Doolittle's Raids).

The Chief Designer was Jiro Horikoshi, who also designed the famous A6M fighter. However, unlike the A6M, the J2M was geared for a completely different role, focusing more on the rate of climb and speed than range and manoeuvrability. The Raiden had only a limited range and was solely used as an interceptor.

The most important feat of arms came with the American B-29 raids over Japan, where the J2M Raiden proved to be a real threat to the bombers - the J2M was well armed, fast and the large pools of ammunition meant that despite a small number of Raidens, the four squadrons operating them were credited with the destruction of 21 Superfortresses during the later months of August 1944 to the end of the war.

Furthermore, the J2M2 saw limited action in the Philippines, although it was largely ineffective.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

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)