Nakajima B5N

what is it?

The Nakajima B5N (Allied reporting name "Kate") was a carrier-based torpedo bomber designed and produced by the Nakajima Aircraft Company. Operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific War, it was the standard torpedo bomber of the service throughout much of the conflict. It also served as a high level bomber.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 15.5 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 378 km/htop speed
• range 978 kmwithout refuelling
• size 4,100 kgmax take-off weight
• built 1,149made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 89 years ago, in 1937.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 15.5 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1937

introduced

1937

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

1,149

role

carrier-based torpedo bomber/high-level bomber

origin

🇯🇵 Japan

makers

Nakajima

engines

1× Nakajima Sakae 11

crew

3

length

10.3 m

wingspan

15.5 m

height

3.7 m

max take-off weight

4,100 kg

top speed

378 km/h

cruise speed

259 km/h

range

978 km

ceiling

8,260 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.