JAPANESE NAVY INTERCEPTOR
The rather dumpy looking Mitsubishi J2M was designed to attack slow overhead bomber formations, punching hard with its awesome array of wing-mounted cannon. Conceived in the late 1930’s, the prototype first flew in March, 1942. The huge and heavy Mitsubishi Kasei engine caused exceptional drag, and as a result was mounted much further back, meaning that the propeller needed to be mounted onto an extension shaft, running through the heart of the now sleeker cowl, and cooled via a fan mounted at the rear of a cooling tunnel, fore of the engine. Further problems dogged the Raiden, such as poor visibility, temperamental prop-pitch mechanism and a performance which was distinctly under-par. Despite issues, production of the J2M continued and the type was modified successively until the end of the war, with variation in weaponry and canopy type helping this beleaguered type. Pilots very much liked the Raiden, and it proved to be constant threat to the B-29 Superfortress streams.

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