Nakajima B5N

Nakajima B5N

Allied Code Name: "Kate"

[画像:Nakajima B5N]

(Scanned from René J. Francillion "Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War" - Putnam - 1979)

UNITS ALLOCATED

All Japanese wartime aircraft carriers.

601st, 653rd, 931st, Himeji, Omura and Usa Kokutais.

[画像:B5N Lateral View]

(Scanned from Barrie Pitt "The Illustrated History of World War II" - Temple Press Aerospace - 1986)

(Scanned from "Koku Fan Magazine" - Drawing by Kazuaki Koizumi)

(Scanned from "Aviões da Segunda Guerra Mundial" - Abril Cultural S.A. - 1975)

TECHNICAL DATA

Description: Single-engined three-seat carrier-borne torpedo-bomber. All-metal construction with fabric-covered control surfaces.

Accommodation: Crew of three comprising pilot, observer/navigator/bomb-aimer and radio operator/gunner, in enclosed cockpit.

Powerplant:

One Nakajima Hikari 2 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial rated at 700 hp for take-off, and 800 hp at 3,500 m, driving a three-blade variable-pitch propeller (first prototype).
One Nakajima Hikari 3 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial rated at 770 hp for take-off, and 840 hp at 3,000 m, driving a three-blade constant-speed metal propeller (B5N1).
One Nakajima NK1B Sakae 11 fourteen-cylinder air-cooled radial rated at 1,000 hp for take-off, and 970 hp at 3,000 m, driving a three-blade constant-speed metal propeller (B5N2).

Armament:

One flexible rear-firing 7.7 mm Type 92 machine-gun.
Bomb-load: 800 kg of bombs or one 800 kg torpedo.

B5N1

B5N2

Dimensions:

Span

15.52 m

Length

10.30 m

Height

3.70 m

Wing area

37.7 m²

Weights:

Empty

2,106 kg

2,279 kg

Loaded

3,700 kg

3,800 kg

Maximum

4,015 kg

4,100 kg

Wing loading

98.1 kg/m²

100.8 kg/m²

Power loading

4.8 kg/hp

3.8 kg/hp

Performance:

Maximum speed

199 kt at 2,000 m

204 kt at 3,600 m

Cruising speed

138 kt at 2,000 m

140 kt at 3,000 m

Climb to

3,000 m

7 min 50 sec

7 min 40 sec

Service ceiling

7,400 m

8,260 m

Normal range

590 naut miles

528 naut miles

Maximum range

1,220 naut miles

1,075 naut miles

Production: A total of 1,149 B5Ns were built as follows:

Nakajima Hikoki K.K., at Koizumi:

669 B5N1, B5N1-K and B5N2 (1936-41)

Aichi Tokei Denki K.K., at Nagoya:

200 B5N2 (1942-43)

Dai-Juichi Kaigun Kokusho, at Hiro:

280 B5N2 (1942-43)

B5N2 three-view drawing

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