Description
Following the Sino-Japanese War of 1937, the Japanese Navy experienced small-scale air raids by the Chinese Air Force. This led the Navy to recognize the need for a high-speed fighter aircraft for base air defense, and they proposed the development of the Type 14 Local Fighter to Mitsubishi.
Mitsubishi, upon receiving this proposal, considered equipping the aircraft with a powerful engine. Because the engine, chosen according to the requirements, had a large diameter, they used an extended shaft to position the engine at the rear to reduce air resistance, resulting in a unique spindle-shaped fuselage design unlike any previous Japanese aircraft. In 1942, the first prototype was evaluated , and issues such as a fast landing speed and poor visibility were pointed out.
However, after modifications such as a redesigned canopy, production of the Raiden Model 11 (J2M2) began in September 1943. The Raiden Model 21 (J2M3) was a more heavily armed version, equipped with four 20mm cannons instead of the original 7.7mm cannons, and was the most produced of all Raiden models. Subsequently, the J2M3 was further developed with the J2M4 (Type 32) equipped with an exhaust turbine supercharger, the J2M5 (Type 33) with a larger canopy and a replacement of the engine with the J26, and the J2M6 (Type 31) which, due to the unavailability of the J26, retained the same J23A engine as the Raiden 21 but featured a larger canopy . A total of approximately 500 units were produced, and they played an active role in intercepting enemy bombers entering mainland Japan.
Data
- Type 21 (J2M3)
- Crew: 1
- Wingspan: 10.795m
- Length: 9.7m
- Height: 3.81m
- Gross weight: 3,300kg
- Maximum speed: 596km/h
- Engine: Mitsubishi J2M5 ( Type Takeoff power: 1,820hp Armament: 4 x 20mm cannons
