Revell | J2M3 Raiden

Reviewed by Francis Gallemi

This kit is one of the three legendary lost kits from Revell, the molds having been lost in an accident. The Raiden along with the Tony and Shiden are probably the most sought after 32nd scale aircraft kits around.

I recently picked up this kit on the LSP trading board from fellow member Lee White. It is a Revell/Germany release and is quite nice considering it's age. The box does not mention the production date but the instructions format is the same as their 1970s style

Overview

The kit comes in a sturdy box and contains 85 parts molded in a medium green plastic. All panel lines are engraved and subtle rivet and fastener details are present. The engraving is very much like their now obsolete Bf 109F/G. There are 4 clear parts making up the canopy and bulletproof glass as well as optional rubber tires and a decal sheet.

Fuselage

The fuselage detail is quite good. Panel lines seem to be there for the most part but some panels are missing and will need to be scribed for better accuracy.

I compared the fuselage with enlarged scale plans published in the Mushroom Model Magazine Special (Yellow Series) Mitsubishi J2M Raiden. As you can see by the photos, the upper section forward of the cockpit is misshapen. The same goes for the rear section all the way to the rudder, which is slightly too tall. These areas can be corrected with either Milliput or by adding plastic card to build up the sections. This by the way is the only major fault found with the kit.

Wings/Landing Gear

The wing shape is surprisingly good though the wingtips seem a little too pointy, but this is easily fixed by gently sanding them to shape. As mentioned above, some missing panel lines will need to be scribed here also. There are no wheel wells present, only large holes for the toy like retracting landing gear system. These will need to be built from scratch. The landing struts seem a little fragile looking and will require extra detailing, maybe even a partial rebuild. The wheels are undersized and will need to be replaced with new ones built from scratch or some similar ones in resin. Revell included both plastic wheels and optional plastic rims with rubber tires. These also are undersized.

Cockpit

Considering the time this kit was released, it's probably one of their best. The cockpit includes a floor, instrument panel, seat, rudder pedals, control stick and molded in sidewall details on the fuselage halves. Though a little sparse by today's standards, it is surprisingly well detailed. Extra detailing on the part of the modeler in this area will go a long way. The Raiden had a very spacious cockpit and all of it is quite visible from the outside. As was the norm with kit manufacturers at the time, the seat is incorrect and will need to be built from scratch. There is a good photo in the Mushroom book that will assist the modeler.

Engine

I was really amazed at the detail on this engine, quite simply the best I've seen from Revell. It is made up of 17 parts including individual exhaust pipes. The cylinders are very well detailed. This whole assembly is caged into a 3 piece cowling, which supposedly snap fits together. I tried it and it doesn't work! Frankly, I find this engine could be used somewhere else as nothing will be visible once the cowling is glued in place.

The cowling flaps are molded individually and can be positioned open or closed.

Decals

The decals included with my kit are unusable due to their age, but seem to be of the standard early Revell type, meaning relatively thin and well printed. The red on the Hinomarus is much too bright.

Though no instructions or illustrations are provided for decal placement, the modeler seems to have a choice of 4 aircraft. The one on the box art, according to my references is wrong. It carries the wrong codes. Not being an expert on Imperial Japanese Navy markings and with no photos of the other 3 aircraft, I cannot vouch for their accuracy.

Decals from other sources will need to be found in order to replace the kit supplied ones.

Conclusion

This is a very nice kit, probably the only available model of a Raiden we will ever have (famous last words…). Despite the faults mentioned above, which by the way are within the capability of most experienced modelers. I still find this kit to be worth having if you can find one. It is one of Revell's best efforts and can be built up into a very impressive model that will surely attract attention in your collection, at club meetings or even competitions. Even though it's a rare kit, it is worth building.

That's it for now!

Kit courtesy of my wallet!

References

Mushroom Model Magazine Special (Yellow Series): Mitsubishi J2M Raiden / Jack
Koku fan: Famous Aircraft of the World # 61: Navy Interceptor "Raiden"
Osprey Aircraft of the Aces #22: Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937-45