J2M4 Kai

This page is about the premium Japanese aircraft J2M4 Kai. For other vehicles of the same family, see J2M (Family).

J2M4 Kai

J2M4 Kai

Japan

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.3	5.0	4.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Description

The J2M4 Kai Raiden is a premium rank IV Japanese fighter with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB), 5.0 (RB), and 4.3 (SB). It was introduced in Update 1.47 "Big Guns" and costs 3,850 Golden Eagles.

Although stubby, the Mitsubishi J2M4, Raiden Model 32 can be considered one of the fastest Japanese fighters in War Thunder, though it is still slower than most of its opponents.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 7 000 m637 km/h

Turn time21 s

Max altitude13 000 m

EngineMitsubishi Ha-32

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight4 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 7,000 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	611	592	13000	22.1	22.9	13.2	13.2	300
Upgraded	664	637		19.9	21.0	22.7	17.3

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
820	350	488	454	280	~10	~8

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 390	< 400	< 420	> 324

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural820 km/h

Gear350 km/h

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

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB1 704

RB5 873

SB4 882

Crew training10 000

Experts290 000

Aces940

Research Aces960 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 90 / 250 / 450 %

2 × 166 / 166 / 166 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Compressor Wings repair Engine Engine injection	Airframe Cover	type99mk2_belt_pack type99mk1_belt_pack type99mk2_new_gun type99mk1_new_gun

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannon

Ammunition380 rounds

Fire rate516 shots/min

Weapon 22 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannon

Ammunition300 rounds

Fire rate490 shots/min

The J2M4 Kai is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 1 cannons, wing-mounted (190 rpg = 380 total)
• 2 x 20 mm Type 99 Model 2 cannons, wing-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)

Wielding four 20 mm cannons, this aircraft appears that it would be as devastating as an Fw 190, but the guns are atrocious. The TNT filling of the best shells, the HEF rounds, is quite good at nearly 17g TNT equivalent. These guns suffer in terms of rate of fire, muzzle velocity, and having two different velocities that cannot be fired independently of each other, making its firepower an unfocused mess at best. However, you have a large ammo supply and can thus spray quite a lot. Stealth Belts are recommended because they have the most tracerless HEF rounds with 17g TNTe, and none of the deceptively bad HEF-T or HEF-I with nearly half that. Stealth is also recommended because without tracers you can surprise opponents more to make the awful guns work.

Suspended armament

List of setups (1)

Setup 12 x 60 kg Navy Type 97 Number 6 ground bomb

The J2M4 Kai 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

Generally, the J2M4 performs similarly to the I-185 (M-82), but with more emphasis on horizontal maneuverability at the cost of climb rate. It rolls rather well at low-medium speeds, stiffens up very badly at higher speeds, and has decent but not great guns.

The plane's main mode of attack, due to the odd combination of fairly high climb rate yet poor dive performance and subpar straight-line speed is to vertically loop opponents to death, mixing in some horizontal turning to throw off some opponents who may also be good in the vertical area. Staying below 550kph IAS is crucial, for above that you seriously lock up and cannot maneuver.

The plane has two different types of 20mm Type 99 cannon - a pair of Model 1s in the outer mounts with 190 rounds per gun and a pair of Model 2s in the inner mounts with 150 rounds per gun. The individual HEF rounds are not that bad, with nearly 17g TNT equivalent, but compared to their opponents, they have below-average muzzle velocity, atrociously low rate of fire, and the two Models of cannon have wildly different muzzle velocities, so your firepower is surprising unfocused unless shooting exactly at your convergence distance. Stealth belts are preferable due to opponents reacting less, allowing you to make the awful guns work, and because Stealth has the most of the best tracerless HEF rounds. The HEF-T and HEF-I rounds have nearly HALF the TNT amount, and should be avoided where possible.

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 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Good top speed
• Large ammunition pool
• Climbs very well
• Has generally good dive characteristics
• Good energy retention
• 12 mm armour plate behind windscreen
• Good roll rate at lower speeds
• Decent high altitude performance due to the turbocharger

Cons:

• Very poor high speed performance
• Prone to engine and fuel fires
• Doesn't turn well
• Elevator doesn't respond well, especially at high speeds
• Lack of armour around fuel tanks or engine
• Differing muzzle velocities between the two marks of the Type 99 cannon on the J2M4 will require you to lead much further than normal as an order to utilize the full effectiveness of the J2M4's firepower
• Low rate of fire on both gun types

History

Development

As the development behind the 14-Shi Interceptor (J2M2 and J2M3) were disappointing in performance and didn't achieve it's projected goal, Mitsubishi set up a new goal with the availability of newer and stronger engines, this would be called under the 14-Shi Kai Interceptor.

Jiro Horikoshi and his team redesigned the nose of the plane to hold the new Kasei 23c engine and with this prototype they achieved the requested goal, this plane would be known as the J2M4, Raiden Model 32. It solved the engine vibrations and the cooling system was more reliable compared to that of the previous models. It would still preserve the same electrical malfunctions to the landing gear which didn't get redesigned as the engine and its performance were a more pressing issue.

This progress allowed Mitsubishi to further develop the Raiden and so they would with the Kasei 26a, equipping it in the J2M5, Raiden Model 33.

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

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

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)