The Mitsubishi Raiden, Allied code name "Jack," was an interceptor by design. It was put to the test fighting the mighty Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
Zoukei-Mura’s newest kit is beautifully molded and engineered. The kit parts are crisp and cleanly molded in a neutral gray plastic. Options include full engine and cockpit detail, drop tank, interior wing and fuselage details, and posable canopy.
If you haven’t built a Zoukei-Mura kit, you will have a unique experience here. From the extensive instruction manual to lavish detailing, ZM goes to great lengths to teach you about the aircraft you are modeling. This new Raiden is no exception.
I took time to study the thick instruction manual. I like that complex assemblies are illustrated with different views.
Construction starts with the engine. It is complete, from the intake fan through the air-intake tunnel leading to the twin-row radial Kasei 23 engine and exhaust system. The engine bearer and fuselage fuel tank are added before this assembly is attached to the fire wall, creating one large engine/cockpit module that attaches to the fuselage half. The cowling panels back to the fire wall can be left off to display the engine. If you plan to close up the fuselage, the eight major cowling parts need special care for a smooth fit.
The wing assembly has a fair amount of internal detail, including cannons, ammo boxes, and internal spars. The wing main parts consist of a top and bottom; I ran into a minor fit problem joining them together, a slight step on the leading edge of the right wing. I may have created this by improperly installing an internal part. I sanded out the step.
The cockpit takes a bit of time to complete as there are a lot of pieces. There are optional parts for the seat, with or without seat belts. Oxygen bottles and structural components are among the other details. The instrument panel is given as a clear part with decals for the dials or as a solid-colored part. The finished cockpit is pretty impressive.
The wing-to-fuselage attachment takes some doing. The primary attachment points come from the cockpit floor’s vertical supports. I had trouble with the wing-root joint. It needed filler where the separate lower fuselage panel joined the fuselage.
The canopy has an unusual feature, offering a choice of painting the clear parts with the kit-supplied paint masks or using molded canopy frames that are also in the kit. The latter are very thin and attached to an alternate set of clear parts. I tried both methods on my kit.
I painted my Raiden using the Gunze Sangyo Hobby Color range of Japanese naval air colors.
Decals are given for two Raiden schemes. Most of the decals applied well to a gloss base coat. The fuselage’s national insignia resisted the surface contours, creating wrinkles. One solution is to bisect them horizontally.
My primary reference was Navy Interceptor “Raiden” from Bunrindo’s “Famous Airplanes of the World” series (no ISBN). Also useful was Mitsubishi J2M Raiden: Jack, by Robert Pęczkowski (MMP, ISBN No. 978-8-39-163277-2). The instruction book has lots of information, too.
It was an interesting build and, compared with my reference photos and drawings, the model looks convincing. I completed it in 30 hours. Zoukei-Mura’s complex design is meant for for experienced modelers — but if you have the skills and are into large-scale World War II Japanese fighters, don’t pass this one up!
Note: A version of this review appeared in the July 2014 FineScale Modeler.