F6F-5 vs J2M3

[krieghund]

As promised I finally scanned this comparison. I got it in the mid 1980's there were to be others but when I wrote the author he said he had poor reviews and decided not to do any others. I suspect he wrote the P40C vs A6M2 comparison in the early 1970s.



Anyway enjoy

[CliffyB]

Thanks for the post man! Some really neat info in there and love the photos of the captured Jack!!!!! Now does anyone make a kit of one?

[Civettone]

Only read the first half but love it. It is really the type of literature I can appreciate. No nonsense.

I wonder though how computers and computer models in those days were accurate enough.

Kris

[FLYBOYJ]

Only read the first half but love it. It is really the type of literature I can appreciate. No nonsense.

I wonder though how computers and computer models in those days were accurate enough.

Kris

Bill M. can answer that!

[Civettone]

No one could do it better!


(I also noticed I wrote 'how' while I meant 'if')
Kris

[tomo pauk]

Such a simple way to talk about the complicated issues. Many thanks

[Gaston]

I dont disagree with the conclusions here, but how they were drawn: Would his method have predicted the poor turn performance of the N1K1 George, whose pilots described a severe handling problem that in hard turns could induce an unpredictable wobbly "autorotation", even with automatic flaps deployed, and that this was a major drawback of the type, so much so that the N1K1 was used mainly in boom and zoom attacks and on the vertical plane?

I doubt it...

Gaston

[Civettone]

Interesting. Was this fixed with the N1K2-J ?


Kris

[Glider]

My respect for the J2M3 has increased a lot with this. I admit that I always had it as a bit of a brick in terms of agility, wrong again but thats how you learn.

[Civettone]

What I also like about the Raiden and which is not mentioned is that it was a powerful but also reliable engine. The japanese had the Kasei engine already mid war but was only for their bombers, as it was too big for fighter aircraft. They succeeded in getting it into this aircraft. The other fighters like the Ki-84 and N1K2J as well as most of the projected fighters had the less reliable Homare engine.

Kris

[Ivan1GFP]

I believe the straight line performance of the Raiden is WAY understated here. US tests make this aircraft MUCH faster than is quoted here. TAIC 105B Data sheet on Jack 21 states 359 mph (WEP) at sea level, 417 mph (WEP) at 16,600 feet. This plane will hit 385 mph while carrying a 250 liter drop tank.

- Ivan.

[slaterat]

Wow, what a great article thanks for posting it.

[icepac]

One thing we should probably take with a grain of salt is the japanese pilots' opinion of the handling of the late war interceptors.

These guys flew the zero or ki43 before transitioning into the j2m3, ki84, and N1K2 so thier opinion of the "handling" is purely by comparison to previous models flown.