Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>Kate>HA2005

General Background

When Japan entered WWII the B5N Kate was the standard torpedo bomber and sank more Allied ships than any other type of Japanese aircraft. B5N2's played the main role in sinking the carrier Lexington at Coral Sea,Yorktown at Midway and Hornet at the Battle of Santa Cruz in October 1942. There were 1,150 B5N1 and B5N2 Torpedo Bombers produced but by 1944 the Kate had been replaced by the B6N "Jill". The Kate ended its service being used for Kamikaze attacks leaving no surviving examples.

The Aircraft

In 1938 B5N1 aircraft were based on the Zuiho as well as other Japanese carriers. The new Kates were also land based and both were deployed in China during the Sino-Japanese War 1937 -1945. Here the aircraft were used to do bombing in support of ground troops and early in the war due to the lack of opposing aircraft the Kates were quite often painted in colorful schemes. Along with newer B5N2s 103 of the older B5N1s took part in the attack at Pearl Harbor.

Specifications :

Crew:	3 (pilot, observer, radio operator)
Dimensions
Length:	33ft 10in (10.30 m)
Wingspan:	50ft 11in (15.52m)
Height:	12ft 2in (3.70m)
Wing area:	406ft2 (37.7m2)
Weight
Empty weight:	5,024lb (2,279kg)
Loaded weight:	8,380lb (3,800kg)
Maximum take off weight:	9,040lb (4,100kg)
Power-plant:	1 X Nakajima Sakae 11 radial engine - 1,000hp (750kw)
Performance
Maximum speed:	229mph (367 km/h)
Range:	1,202mi (1,935km)
Service ceiling:	27,100ft (8,260m)
Rate of climb:	1,283ft/min (6.5m/s)
Wing loading:	21lb/ft2 (101kg/m²)
Power/mass:	0.12hp/lb (0.20kw/kg)
Armament
Guns:	1 X dual flexible 7.7mm in the rear cockpit.
External stores:	1 X 1764 lb (800-kg) torpedo or 3 X 551-lb (250-kg) bombs