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".

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics	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
Stock	585	569	11500	20.2	20.6	12.9	12.9	300
Upgraded	646	615		18.5	19.0	23.9	17.5

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
			+	-
820	350	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 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.

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

Nearing the end of the war, the focus of the J2Ms was shifted towards even more local interceptors as requested at a faster approach. With the J2M5, Raiden Model 33's a new and last engine revision was made, the Kasei 26a engine with a mechanically driven supercharger. This allowed the Model 33 to get higher speeds at higher altitudes compared to that of the J2M4, Model 32 at the cost of total range which was a sacrifice that was required as American bombers got closer and closer to the mainland.

Within the Model 33 there has been several prototype variants and armament configurations of only one becoming a production line variant, the J2M5a, Raiden Model 33 Ko which had four 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons.

One other of these variants, the J2M5 with Type 5 30 mm's, which didn't make it to the production line, as by the time, bombers got through and bombed the Japanese logistics from December 1944 onward, which took its toll on the aircraft production overall.

A direct hit on the Mitsubishi aircraft plant caused the complete loss of airframes, machine tools, and jigs and eventually halted production. Production generally suffered less from direct hits on factories, which were rare, but from attacks on suppliers and consequent shortages of material and construction tools.

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)