World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
2 Jan 2010 08:57:31 PM

Type 97 Carrier Attack Plane,the (Kate) was
effective in sinking three US Carriers in
1942. Photo shows the plane armed with the
type 91 torpedo. Aircraft built by:
Nakajima B5N2 Type 97 Carrier Attack Plane
Model 12

2.  Bill says:
11 Jan 2012 04:15:04 PM

TAKEOFF POWER: NAKAJIMA B5N1, TYPE 97

The Nakajima B5N1 was powered by a Nakajima 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engine of 770hp the Kate used 100 octane fuel for takeoff feeding from a seperate tank.
By 1942 most of the older model B5N1s, were replaced with the new model B5N2s.

The B5N2 were powered by a Nakajima Sakae 21
14-cylinder,1,115hp air-cooled radial engine that was smaller and fitted into a more streamlined cowling.
B5N1s were removed from front-line service
and reassinged to training schools, also used
as target tugs, glider tugs and other duties the last survivors were used in Kamikaze attacks.

3.  Bill says:
11 Jan 2012 07:18:23 PM

Good photo of the B5N1 Kate taking off with a
type 91 800kg/1764lb torpedo.
Looks like the pilot has adjusted his seat, for a better view over the cowling.
The pilot and observer sat over the main wing
spar, that was attached to the fuselage the
B5N1 was a three-seat carrier attack bomber.

The pilot had good all around view with his flight instruments in front of him, he was
seperated by a bulkhead where the navigator/
observer bombardier sat, in front of him was the type 1,(RDF)radio direction finder all carrier aircraft were equipped with this twin loop antenna that would transmit and receive individual frequency singals to or from the carrier.

Bombardier had his bombsight, bomb release console, secondary flight controls and other instruments in front of him along with his navigation chart table that could be retracted when not in use. Another bulkhead seperated the observer and gunner. The radio operator/gunner sat behined the observer, and operated the continuous wave telegraph that was more powerful and reliable than voice transmissions, the gunner could rotate
his seat sitting forward or backward when manning the 7.7mm machine gun, magazines for the 7.7mm weapon stowed on the sides, crew could communicate by intercom, on each side running along the cockpit flooring and sides were internal structure of the aircraft with stringers and runners, control cables, electric wiring, hydraulic lines, oxygen bottles, equipment boxes and other instruments.
All three sat under a long greenhouse each with a sliding canopy. I thought I would bring this up about the Kate's internal structure.

4.  Bill says:
11 Apr 2016 06:55:13 PM

DOUBLECHECK THAT KATE:

Nakajima B5N taking off from carrier Akagi photo
was taken from the Japanese film "Pearl Harbor
to Malaya" March/Apr 1942. The Kate is an older model B5N1 and didn't take part in the Pearl Harbor raid on 12/7/41.

The B5N2's torpedo is an exercise and training version, check out the dent on its nose and lack of wooden aerodynamic fins around the weapon...