[Ryann1k2j]

In Saburo Sakai's "Samurai", he* writes, "It was well suited to bomber attack but, like the Shiden, demanded high skill from its pilots. The overemphasis on speed and armament made the plane logy in aerobatics. Compared to the Zero in this respect, it flew like a truck. We suffered appalling losses in training. Later, when the Hellcats and Mustangs roamed over Japan proper, those pilots in Raidens who opposed the enemy fighters discovered all too late the airplane's inability to maneuver."

Later, "Where the Raiden shone against the B-29, it was helpless before the swifter, more maneuverable Mustang", and, in giving a pocket description of Sadaaki (Teimei) Akamatsu he writes "Akamatsu shot down no less than ten of these excellent enemy planes [F6F & P-51] while flying the Raiden, a feat most other pilots considered to be impossible."


*He or Martin Caidin,who had a heavy hand in the eventual translation.