I've been flying it offline recently for the first time in my new work-in-progress Air Pirates campaign, and it's just about my favorite plane now, and definitely my favorite Japanese plane. It's fast and maneuverable, it doesn't flip easily like the Ki-84, it has more ammo than the Ki-84, and it doesn't have the auto-flaps that make the N1K annoying to fly for me.

I guess in the IJN it was just a case of too little too late? From what I have seen it's generally portrayed as an unmaneuverable plane meant solely for attacking hi-altitude bombers, but at least in Il-2 it is really great for battling at sea level.

In real life the plane had a few defects and problems that kept it from becoming as useful as it was supposed to be. Instead of several thousand planned, only about 500 were built. It's not that the Japanese did not want it.

Check out the J2M5 high altitude performance... last time I checked those were outperforming P-47D-27's over 8,000m.

The J2M is a big challenge up high. It holds it energy well, and i think its a relatively light plane so it is somewhat maneuverable.
I think its made of wood is it not?? or has some wood components.
I know many late war JPN planes started to include wood parts, to conserve light aluminum alloys.

The down side of the J2M is it is easy to snap a wing if you turn fast and tight, or roll at high speed, but i think that is common for most JPN planes.

I'm surprised to not see the Ki-44 in the list of JPN planes. That plane was a beast, too, at least for speed and climb rate.

This toyplane is too unreal for this game, just like I-85. I mean, it's both fast as hell, climbs as hell and out turns almost anything. I even had a hole in the wing and it didn't keep me from shooting down a mustang

J2M's section in the object view section (witch I don't know the reasons, but at least for me is in fact in the B6N section)

pretty interesting...

as is know unfortenetely for the Japanese, the J2M4 couldn't be improved at a satisfatory way to achive production, but with totally sure it was fantastic. the M5 version is already a soberb aircraft.

quote:

Originally posted by ROXunreal:
This toyplane is too unreal for this game, just like I-85. I mean, it's both fast as hell, climbs as hell and out turns almost anything. I even had a hole in the wing and it didn't keep me from shooting down a mustang

hmm

I will not contest you, no way, but anyway take a look at this:

"In February of 1945, an American technical intelligence team discovered a single Raiden abandoned among the trees alongside the Dewey Boulevard on the outskirts of Manila. It was disassembled and transferred to Clark Field, where it was repaired by the Technical Air Intelligence Command (TAIC) and test flown. A senior test pilot attached to TAIC rated the Raiden as being the best Japanese fighter he had flown, offering a good performance, good stability, good stalling characteristics, and good takeoff and landing qualities. It had a steep climbing angle and a rapid climb rate. Handling and control were good, but the ailerons became rather heavy at speeds above 325 mph. Stalling characteristics were exceptional. Even though there was relatively little stall warning, the recovery from the stall was extremely rapid, with very little altitude being lost. There was no tendency to spin, the aircraft being exceptionally stable. The manoeuvring flaps were rated as being very effective. On the negative side, the brakes and rudder brake action were poor, the ailerons were heavy which made the manoeuvrability fall off at high speeds, the mechanical reliability was poor, and the range was short."

source: http://www.century-of-flight.n...i%20J2M%20Raiden.htm

personally I would say something that is hipotetic in the war terms but anyway:

the bigest US answer for the late war Japanese figthers like the Ki-84, the J2M and the N1K2 in terms of piston engine aircraft where the P-51H and the F8F. this ones would outclass the historic war models.

of course that a wartime operational well flow American figther like a Hellcat, Corsair, P-38, P-47 and P-51 can bring a really a match for such planes. but in fact without account real life problems, mainly in IL2 they are same as fast at low and medium altitude (that's the MAJOR problem), can outclimb and outurn those planes at pratically any speed. their only advantage is on superior pratical service celling. there they can outrun then. so are in fact one step ahead at lower and medium altitude. altough I didn't incluid the J2M because never face it. it's like figth a LA-5FN with the Lufwaffe, you can be even very effective against it if used the proper tactics and your advantages, but the less you relax they going to be in firing position against you, mainly at lower level.

but repeat, that's just my personal view.

The Japanese had strict requirements for production aircraft regarding ROC and speed.

It wouldn't surprise me if some of those planes had some of the best climb rates in the sim.

Climbs like a 25lb Spit, dives like a Fw190, runs like a Jug, turns like a Yak-3, punches like a Tempest... what can one possibly want more?

Yes... quite likely the best Japan fighter in the game.
Ki-84 outperforms it slightly in some areas but none of those areas are really important (sea level speed, turn rate).
Raiden outperforms Hayate where it really matters, in RoC and high altitude performance.

It appears little chubby tho .

based on that report, I make a idiot test now just for joking...

take 4 J2M5's as ace level oponents in quick mission and I was in a P-51D. altitude was 7500 meters. previosly I tested both planes, and really the J2M is inferior in the dive. it's not a drastic difference but is a little inferior in regain control as fast as the Mustang.

then, they come chassing me. I close the radiator, engage WEP and dive down straigth down. surprisely, it happens wat I was expecting. they manage to close up a little, but not much, and I take a safisfatory distance from them while was diving. then, at about 3000 meters and almost 800 km/h, I start to climb puting the plane like a rocket. again, manage to reach almost 5000 meters and the Raiden's where close, but still a little distance. don't conduct further more, but later will do it.

well, like I saied it's just a joke, but know, it's the AI.

at witch level LOGIC that I can't say, but at least in this joke seems that the poor control autorit of the J2M seems to have bee modelated.

I still prefer the Ki-84, it 'feels' better. TinyTim, you're bing quite a bit optimistic with all of your comparisons. One could also say "climbs like a Jug, dives like a 25lbSpit, runs like a Yak-3, turns like a Tempest and punches like a Fw190D" with about the same accuracy.

First and foremost, nothing compares to the "jug". I get more energy /speed out of that plane than any other plane including some jets.




The J2M is no miracle plane. It takes decent piloting to be successful in most planes in the sim, and the J2M isn't an exception.
It has more to do with a pilots ability to negotiate and time turns at 7000M+, which takes a bit of skill and practice. Certainly a different type of game than TnB in a Spitfire or La-7 at 1000M.

The J2M's top speed at sea level is like 350 mph so it's definitely outrun by many late-war planes like Fw-190 A's and D's and P-47's and Tempests and La-7's and so on.

But it just handles really sweetly at sea level and keeps its speed up.

quote:

Originally posted by Ba5tard5word:
The J2M's top speed at sea level is like 350 mph so it's definitely outrun by many late-war planes like Fw-190 A's and D's and P-47's and Tempests and La-7's and so on.

But it just handles really sweetly at sea level and keeps its speed up.

Well, I've got it to 580kph at sealevel. This might be a few kph's behind La-7, P-51 or Tempest deck speed, but it's not only top speed that counts, it's acceleration too. J2M takes a lot less time to reach it's max speed due to favorable thrust to weight ratio.

In other words, if P-51 starts running from a J2M (both flying at, say, 350kph), Jack will catch the Mustang before the latter will start outdistancing the persuer.

J2M is the kind of plane that makes you a worse pilot if you fly it too much cause it has very few weaknesses (gives bad habits ) , even without tactics or practice in it , you will have success more often than not cause it outperforms most of his opponents in almost everything .

I respect people who fly it though , it's a nicely designed and good looking plane , but like a few other "ace-maker" planes in the sim (like Spit 25lb , La-7 etc) , i prefer to stay away from them , that's also why i rarely fly the 109G2 these days except against Spits , prefering it the F4 or G6 , more challenging

oh, can't belive I forgot, the P-47N would be a excellent ride to figth the J2M.

damm that we don't have it on the sim, even that the D "late" model we have should be very close to it.

quote:

would be a excellent ride to figth

wildnoob, it is spelled "fight." There aren't any common English words I can think of with "igth" in them but there are several with "ight" but I see you typing "figth" or "fligth" here quite a bit.

flight
right
fight

etc

I'm not being critical, just making a friendly suggestion. I've studied a few foreign languages and they really made me realize how screwed up English spelling is.

at least the climb is accurate

quote:

Originally posted by:Ba5tard5word

quote:

would be a excellent ride to figth

wildnoob, it is spelled "fight." There aren't any common English words I can think of with "igth" in them but there are several with "ight" but I see you typing "figth" or "fligth" here quite a bit.

flight
right
fight

etc

I'm not being critical, just making a friendly suggestion. I've studied a few foreign languages and they really made me realize how screwed up English spelling is.

sorry, please sorry for my extreme ignorance mister Ba5tard5word.

f-i-g-h-t

now I understand how to wrote this write this word, witch by the way I never imaginate I was wroting wrong.

buddy, I don't have words to you. think that say thank you would be even a offense.

you folks can't belive how help me to improve my english and are everyday doing it, like you that tell me that I was writing a word by a totally wrong form that there's absolutely no sense with witch I wanted to mean with it. I need to improve my english skills, oh, I really need.

hope that say this not offend you, but thank you very much my man!