This is the J2M-3 Raiden of Ensign Sadaaki Akumatsu, a Japanese fighter ace in the Imperial Navy during World War II. Phenominally talented, Akumatsu jumped 70 P-51 Mustangs with his Raiden by himself. After a series of shootouts at low altitude, he shot down two of the Mustangs and returned home; a near impossible feat under almost all circumstances.

Akumatsu was also known for drunken revellery and womanizing. According to legend, he responded to an order to scramble by running out of a bordello, wearing only a kimono and wooden sandals. He was known to brag about claiming 300 kills in air combat, a gross exaggeration of his actual kill total of 33 (The above story of him jumping the 70 Mustangs and shooting down 2 of them was indeed true however).

The Raiden (Thunderbolt) itself was a departure from traditional Japanese design. Instead of agility and dogfighting, the Raiden was built for speed, altitude and acceleration. In 1944, when the B-29s started their assaults on the Pacific Front, the Raiden was the only Japanese aircraft that could get to the B-29's attack altitude.




NOTE TO FA STAFF: As per your AUP:

"Manufactured/Collected Items - Photographs of mass manufactured/commercially available items (which you have not personally developed or created) are not permitted...Exceptions are made for items which are staged in an artistic, dynamic setting...You may post photographs of commissioned items, or custom paint jobs (model kits, figurines, etc) so long as the title and/or description credits the artist/creator."

Thus: Custom Paintjob is mine. Kit made by Tamiya