1/32 J2M3 Raiden (Jack) Type 21 by Zoukei-mura - PREVIEW

[Thomas_M/]

Final Test Shot Preview

J2M3 Raiden (Jack) Type 21
Manufacturer: Zoukei-mura
Scale: 1/32
Kit No: SWS #05
247 Parts in grey & clear Styrene
Available directly from Zoukei-mura or overseas stores



Thanks to our good friends in Kyoto, Japan, we here have an exclusive preview of the new 1/32 scale J2M3 Raiden point defence fighter kit. The pictures have been taken from a final test shot sample we have gratefully received these days from this manufacturer.

As given on Zoukei-mura´s website this kit is expected to become available November 9^th, 2013.

We have been allowed to show the contents of this final test shot release to the public during the model show “EuroModell” in Ried, Austria on October 12th and 13th, 2013; and you will have your first look here! Thanks to the staff to allow me to mirror this preview here!

There are by far some better and more knowledgeable sources of this aircraft´s history than me on the Net so please understand that I just will get you some basic information here.

Designed by the creator of the famous Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, Jiro Hirokoshi, the Raiden (Thunderbolt) was planned to be used as a local defence fighter. It looked stubby due to its rather large Mitsubishi Kasei engine, cooled by an intake fan and driving a four bladed propeller by an extension shaft buried inside a sleek engine cover to minimize drag.

The J2M3 type 21 depicted by this kit was build in approx. 435 examples and according to the assembly manual was equipped with a 1,820hp Mitsubishi MK4R-A Kasei 23a 14-cylinder radial engine, two wing-mounted 20mm Type 99 Model II cannons and two wing-mounted 20mm Type 99 Model I cannons.

As written by the President of Zoukei-mura in the “Old Man´s Blog #43”: it “…was mainly designed for hit-and-run performance, rather than for dogfight performance”.

I found further information on this aircraft type here on TDM Software and other sites on the Net.

We now will have a look at the sprues of this kit we got. Looking at them please be aware that this is a final test shot only, there still might be changes to the fully developed kit you hopefully have in your hands soon!

Sprue A:


Comprises parts to assemble the huge engine as are the two cylinder blocks.






Finely moulded push rods.


Extension pipe of the propeller shaft


Forced cooling fan

[Thomas_M/]

Sprue B:








One piece engine mount, an impressive piece of moulding!








Slide-moulded open cannon muzzles!




Slide-moulded opened exhaust pipes!

[Thomas_M/]

Sprue C:


Comprises many parts to build the cockpit area and inner fuselage.




















Beautiful slide-moulded instruments!

[Thomas_M/]

Sprue D:


Comprises the one-piece main wing spar, landing gear and engine parts.

[Thomas_M/]

Sprue E:

[Thomas_M/]

Sprue F:


Comprises the lower fuselage panel, engine fire wall and cowl flaps.

[Thomas_M/]

Sprue G:


One-piece upper and lower wing halves.






Slide-moulded openings for the wing cannons.

[Thomas_M/]

Sprue H:








Nice and subtle details here!

[Thomas_M/]

Sprue I:


Clear parts. Canopy parts here are moulded with the canopy framing in place. Alternative clear instrument panel.

[Thomas_M/]

Sprues J & K:


Clear parts of canopy and framing moulded separately, if you like to have them this unique way!

[Thomas_M/]

Masks:


Pre-cut canopy masks

[Thomas_M/]

Decals:



Decals are given for two schemes:

• 352 Naval Air Group
  3rd Divisional Officer
  Lt. JG Yoshihiro Aoki
  Mar. 1945, Ohmura AB, Nagasaki
  
  
• 302 Naval Air Group
  2rd Divisional Officer
  Lt. Susumo Ito
  Apr. 1945, Atsuki AB, Kanagawa
  

Additional numbers are given to do an aircraft of your choice.

[Thomas_M/]

Assembly manual:



The typical Zoukei-mura style of making these manuals look as official documents. Gives an overview on the aircraft's specifications, engine and armament.

Following this is a two page overview on the assembly of your kit, nicely illustrated and informative.



The next seven chapters are the assembly instructions themselves. Please read them carefully, especially all the information and hints given!
Painting and decal information then are followed by a two page sprue and parts list.

Here are some sample pages. I guess there will be more pages offered to be downloaded on Zoukei-mura´s website as soon as the kit will be available.













Some picture from Zoukei-mura, showing the kit during and after assembly:

[Thomas_M/]

We also received prototype samples of main landing parts cast in metal and the wheels in resin. I added a match to the wheels to show you how tiny the tail wheel is in this scale!

[Thomas_M/]

Final remark

Getting this final test shot as a full kit made me wonder what, if at all, could still be improved. If I hadn´t been advised in advance that this was one of just twenty final test shots I would firmly believe this was the final kit itself! The attention to detail to be seen everywhere on almost each part is fascinating.

Aside from some flow marks and scratches on some of the canopy parts I am very impressed by this new kit by Zoukei-mura (again!). The assembly manual is crammed full of information and hints, guiding you to the assembly of this kit. The decals on my sample look great; the colours are rich and the fit faultless.

The resin wheels only need a very little bit of clean-up before they are ready to be used. The metal landing gear parts on my pre-production sample show some fine lines of mould mismatch. Also the surface of the metal looks a little bit grainy. The metal itself is different and softer than the Super Wing Option metal landing gear for the Heinkel He 219, for example.

The He 219´s metal parts reminded me to some I used from G-Factor, being very strong and perfectly cast. The metal parts in this sample for the Raiden remind me to some I have from Scale Aircraft Conversion; the cast will need some attention and the metal is bendable.

What we have got here are pre-production samples! So, for a final evaluation we will have to wait until the kit and all additional Super Wing Option parts will be available.

Until then I have to thank the fantastic team at Zoukei-mura for sending this final test shot over to Germany!

 有り難うございます!

[Deleted]

Superb review, thanks for posting 

I could be tempted by this one 

[Thomas_M/]

Richard, I could talk to them in regards to your wish doing armour. Just imagine a tank kit with all those internal structures they give into their aircraft kits!

[TRM]

Excellent looking kit Thomas! Those guns!! That motor!! I am impressed...and I can't finish a Wengy Theng to save my life!!! LOL!!! Thanks for posting the preview!!!

[tigrazor]

Thomas... there you are Just can repeat myself, the model as well as the review is superb! Im a bit jealous and speechless. WIP incoming someday?!

PS: That watermark Looks a bit familiar

[Thomas_M/]

First the Skyraider build will have to be finished! Then, next year, a so far secret build, hopefully be finished in time to be published.

[tigrazor]

Secret build, mhm...

[Thomas_M/]

Oct 22, 2013 2:43:55 GMT -5 tigrazor said:

Secret build, mhm...

Sometimes, I feel the need to do something very different. Tank, aircraft, ship or car: I have a stash of about 500+ kits. Let yourself be surprised!

[Tobi]

Man, this is looking sweet. Up till now I always stepped back from buying ZM, because of the pricing. On the other hand them kits seem to be so complete, there is no real need for AM.

I found the Raiden interesting from the first time I saw it, because of it's somewhat plump look. Maybe one day...

Cheers,
Tobi

[Tobi]

Just as I'm talking about it my favourite online shop has an offer for the ZM He-219!

165.-€! My only additions will be turned brass antennas for the radar, making the whole lot 200.-€ again! Ouch, my aching wallet...

Cheers,
Tobi

[Tobi]

Dicky, an M1A2 with pretty much (not full) internals in 1/35 should be already possible today! Just check out Verlinden. The rest, hell, you can scratch!

Cheers,
Tobi

[bbd468]

Great review Thomas! This looks to be a fantastic kit with excellent detail. Very nice indeed.

[Mence]

Couldn't build it to save my life but wow, what a kit!

[DeafStuG]

Cool, I like canopy and framing moulded separately so masking-less via saving of my time and money so marvellous review, Thanks.

[Thomas_M/]

Oct 22, 2013 15:51:43 GMT -5 @dickyf said:

Thomas I'm a simple guy with simple tastes......a Leopard 2A7Ex/Chally 2 or M1A2 in 1/32 with full internal detail is all I ask in life!

In 1/32 scale?

Imagine such a kit with full details inside or even better a digital sound module to listen those engines starting up!

[Thomas_M/]

Thanks a lot for all your nice and positive replies here! Reading these it was more than fun to do this preview!