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Japan's Nakajima B5N torpedo bomber^1,2
Navy Type 97
Allied Name: "Kate"^1,2

Nakajima B5N, "Kate" torpedo bomber:

Nakajima B5N, "Kate" torpedo bomber:

Nakajima B5N1, "Kate" torpedo bomber:

Nakajima B5N2, "Kate" torpedo bomber:

Nakajima B5N2, "Kate" torpedo bombers flying over the battleship Yamamoto:

Design

The Nakajima B5N was designed to a 1935 requirement.¹

Wings

The wings were foldable for storage on a carrier.²

Undercarriage

Unusual for a plane, much less a carrier plane, at the time, the B5N had an inward retracting landing gear.^1,2

Fuselage

The fuselage was all metal stressed skin.²

Engine

The engine drove a variable pitch propeller.²

Prototype

In January 1937 the B5N prototype first flew.^1,2

Production

• Total: 1,149^1,2
  • Manufactured by: Nakajima (669)², Aichi (200)², Dai-Juichi (280)²

Variants

• B5N: Prototype.¹ Had a Nakajima Hikari radial engine.^1,2
• B5N1: Production model.¹
• B5N1 Model 11: Production model.² First delivered in late 1937.²
• B5N1-K: Trainer.² Converted B5N1.²
• B5N2: Arrived in 1939.¹ The engine cowling was smaller to fit the Nakajima Sakae 11 engine.¹
• B5N2 Model 12: Had Nakajima Sakae engine.² Cowling was smaller.² First flew in December 1939.²

Usage

China

The B5N1s were deployed to land based units in China for their first combat use.^1,2

Attack on United States

The B5N2 had replaced all the B5N1s in combat units before the attack on the United States in December 1941.¹ There were 144 B5N2s used in the attack on Pearl Harbor.^1,2 Around 100 were used as bombers and the rest carried torpedos.²

Sank United States Carriers

In the first year of the war with the United States, the B5N2s were instrumental in the sinking of the carriers USS Hornet, USS Lexington, and USS Yorktown.^1,2

Withdrawn from Combat

After the battles in the Philippines in 1944 the B5Ns were withdrawn from combat.¹ They were then used for anti-submarine and reconnaissance roles that were outside the range of Allied fighters.¹

	Nakajima B5N2	Nakajima B5N12	Nakajima B5N21,2
Type	Carrier bomber2 Carrier torpedo bomber2		Torpedo bomber1
Crew	32		31
Engine (Type)		Nakajima Hikari 32	Nakajima NK1B Sakae 11 piston1,2
Cylinders		Radial 92	Radial1, Radial 142
Cooling
Net HP		8402	1,0001,2
Propeller blades		32	32
Dimensions
Span	50' 11"2 15.52 m2		50' 10 7/8"1 15.52 m1
Length	33' 9.5"2 10.3 m2		33' 9.5"1 10.3 m1
Height	12' 1.5"2 3.7 m2		12' 1 5/8"1 3.7 m1
Wing area			405.8 ft2 1 37.7 m2 1
Weight
Empty		4,643 lb2 2,106 kg2	5,024 lb1,2 2,279 kg1,2
Loaded		8,852 lb2 4,015 kg2	9,039 lb1,2 4,100 kg1,2
Performance
Speed @ 6,560' / 2,000 m		229 mph2 368 kph2
Speed @ 11,810' / 3,600 m			235 mph1,2 378 kph1,2
Cruising speed		159 mph2 256 kph2	161 mph2 259 kph2
Climb to 9,840' / 3,000 m		7.9 minutes2	7.7 minutes1,2
Service ceiling		24,280'2 7,400 m2	27,100'1,2 8,260 m1,2
Range		679 miles2 1,092 km2	608 miles2, 1,237 miles1 978 km2, 1,990 km1
Armament
Rear cockpit	1: 7.7 mm MG2		1: 7.7 mm Type 92 MG1
Torpedo	12		1: 1,764 lb1 1: 800 kg1
OR
Bombs	1,764 lb2 800 kg2		1,764 lb1 800 kg1

Sources:

1. Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
2. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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