There is a slight error in wikipedia the B5N was a Torpedo and
Horizontal bomber. The dive bomber was the D3A Val
In article <o65en5011bu@drn.newsguy.com>,
Miloch <Miloch_member@newsguy.com> wrote:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakajima_B5N
>
> The Nakajima B5N (Japanese: ?? B5N, Allied reporting name "Kate") was the
> standard carrier torpedo bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) for much
> of
> World War II.
>
> Although the B5N was substantially faster and more capable than its Allied
> counterparts, the TBD Devastator, Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore, it
> was
> nearing obsolescence by 1941. Nevertheless, the B5N operated throughout the
> whole war, due to the delayed development of its successor, the B6N. In the
> early part of the Pacific War, flown by well-trained IJN aircrews and as part
> of
> well-coordinated attacks, the B5N achieved particular successes at the
> battles
> of Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea, Midway, and Santa Cruz Islands.
>
> Primarily a carrier-based aircraft, it was also occasionally used as a
> land-based bomber. The B5N carried a crew of three: pilot,
> navigator/bombardier/observer, and radio operator/gunner.
>
> The B5N was designed by a team led by Katsuji Nakamura in response to a 1935
> specification by the Navy for a torpedo bomber to replace the Yokosuka B4Y.
> Internally designated Type K by Nakajima, it successfully competed with the
> Mitsubishi B5M for a production contract. The first prototype flew in January
> 1937 and was ordered into production soon afterwards with the full
> designation
> Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber (kyu-nana-shiki kanjo kogeki-ki or kanko for
> short.
>
>
> Role
> Torpedo and dive bomber
>
> National origin
> Japan
>
> Manufacturer
> Nakajima Aircraft Company
>
> First flight
> 1937
>
> Retired
> 1945
>
> Status
> Retired
>
> Primary user
> Imperial Japanese Navy
>
> Number built
> 1,149
>
> The B5N soon saw combat, first in the Sino-Japanese War, where combat
> experience
> revealed several weaknesses in the original B5N1 production model. These were
> mainly concerned with the lack of protection that the design offered its crew
> and its fuel tanks. Keen to maintain the high performance of the type, the
> Navy
> was reluctant to add weight in the form of armor, and instead looked to
> obtaining a faster version of the aircraft in the hopes of outrunning enemy
> fighters. The B5N2 was given a much more powerful engine - Nakajima's own
> Sakae
> Model 11, 14-cylinder twin-row radial, as used in the initial models of the
> it.
> Although its performance was only marginally better, and its weaknesses
> remained
> un-remedied, this version replaced the B5N1 in production and service from
> 1939.
>
> It was this version that would be used by the Navy in the Attack on Pearl
> Harbor. The B5N2 Kate carried Mitsuo Fuchida, the commander of the attack on
> Pearl Harbor, with one from the carrier Hiryu credited with sinking the
> battleship Arizona. Five torpedo bombers were shot down in the first wave.
> Apart
> from this raid, the greatest successes of the B5N2 were the key roles it
> played
> in sinking the United States Navy aircraft carriers Lexington and Hornet, and
> the disabling of the Yorktown, which led to its sinking by the Japanese
> submarine I-168.
>
> Specifications (Nakajima B5N2)
>
> General characteristics
> Crew: 3 (1 pilot, 1 commander and 1 backgunner/radio operator)
> Wingspan: 15.52 m (50 ft 11 in)
> Height: 3.70 m (12 ft 1? in)
> Empty weight: 2,279 kg (5,024 lb)
> Loaded weight: 3,800 kg (8,380 lb)
> Max. takeoff weight: 4,100 kg (9,040 lb)
>
> Performance
> Maximum speed: 378 km/h (204 kn, 235 mph)
> Range: 1,992 km (1,075 NM, 1,237 mi)
> Service ceiling: 8,260 m (27,100 ft)
> Rate of climb: 6.5 m/s (1,283 ft/min)
> Power/mass: 0.20 kW/kg (0.12 hp/lb)
>
> Armament
>
> fed
> by hand loaded drum magazines of 97 rounds. A number of B5N1s were equipped
> with
>
>
>
>
> *
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