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The Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force was pressed need of the Interceptor
for the defence of the home land. In September 1939, they had directed
Mitsubishi to develop the Interceptor fighter. High speed and a high speed
climb capability were imperative for the interceptor in order to compete
with the USAF Superfortress who was capable of invading with high speed
at high altitude.
The IJNAF requested Mitsubishi to manufacture the interceptor which
satisfy the following performacne requirements.
a. Maximum spped: more than 325 kt at 6,000 m (602km/h).
b. Climb to 6,000 m in 5 min 30 sec.
c. Service ceiling: 11,000 m
Mitsubishi had completed a prototype, single-seat monoplane, all-metal
construction, in March 1942. After thorough investigation, it was formally
adopted by the IJNAF as the Naval Interceptor in 1943.
However, the Raiden (Jack) was given faulty engine at her birth, and
the pilots were in trouble because of lack of forward vision. It took
quite some time to get rid of all these problems, and the Raiden (Jack)
could finally make a debut in the air battle at the end of 1943.
The Raiden (Jack) was recognized as the predominant interceptor, only
after the year of 44, when she had demonstrated her high dogfight ability
against the USAF B29 bombers over the mainland of Japan.
In the IJNAF, the Raiden was classified as the KYOKUCHI SENTOUKI.
The Fighter George (Shiden and Shiden-kai) had also belonged to this
classification. The word KYOKUCHI means parochial or local action, and
the word SENTOUKI means the Fighter plane.
The Raiden, Model 21 (J2M3), had four wing-mounted 20mm cannon only,
but Model 32 (J2M4) was equipped with two more 20mm cannon mounted
on the fuselage for an oblique-firing. These guns were mounted to the
left and behind pilots seat, fixed to fire at an angle of 10-degree up and
30-degree left.
Technical Data
| Model 21 | J2M 3 |
| Span | 10.795 m |
| Length | 9.700 m |
| Height | 3.810 m |
| Weight, loaded | 3.435 kg |
| Weight, empty | 2.574 kg |
| Powerplant | Kasei 23a, fourteen-cylinder air cooled radial. |
| Power | 1820 hp |
| Maximum speed | 589 km/h at 5.450 m |
| Armament | 20mm cannon x 4 |
| Bomb | 30 kg x 2, 60 kg x 2 |
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During the war with China, the IJNAF was in need of the long range
escort fighter, that was capable of joining mission to escort the
bombers which fly the long distance. The IJNAF directed Nakajima
Aircraft Manufacturer to develop the twin-engine long-range escort
fighter in 1938.
Nakajima completed the prototype of the fighter in March 1941. Howver,
owing to lack of stability during an approach and landing and also
in dogfight maneuvering, she was considered to be impropriety machine
as a Fighter plane. Besides, she was claimed to be excess in weight.
This aircraft was then adopted as the land-based reconnaissance
aircraft by the IJAAF in July 1942.
However, a turning point came after a while. In an attempt to make
better use of this plane, the 20mm cannons were mounted on her
dorsal and her belly of the fuselage. The aircraft had the armament
of two fuselage-mounted upward-firing 20 mm cannons and two 20 mm
downward-firing cannons. It was proved to be of a great success during
the actual combat. Finally, after such modification of the armament,
she was adopted as the Night Fighter in August, 1943, and was formally
called Gekko (Moonlight) by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force.
Technical Data
| Model 11 | J1N1-S |
| Span | 16,980 m |
| Length | 12.177 m |
| Height | 4,562 m |
| Weight, loaded | 6,900 kg |
| Weight, empty | 4,852 kg |
| Powerplant | Nakajima, Sakae 21 |
| Power | 1,130 hp |
| Maximum speed | 507 km/h at 5,800 m |
| Armament | Fuselage-mounted 20mm cannon x 4 |
| Bomb | 30 kg - 250 kg x 2 |