Nakajima B5N

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.
Developed to fulfil the 10-Shi specification of 1935, which sought a carrier attack bomber possessing similar performance to the Mitsubishi A5M fighter aircraft, the B5N was initially internally designated as the Type K. It had a relatively clean low-mounted monoplane configuration and featured a retractable undercarriage, a folding wing, Fowler flaps and a variable-pitch propeller. The first prototype made its maiden flight in January 1937; it outperformed the Mitsubishi B5M during competitive trials and won the production contract, leading to the B5N's service introduction as the Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber in 1938. That same year, the B5N1 made its combat debut during the Second Sino-Japanese War, in which the aircraft was typically used as a level bomber. Further refinement of the design during the late 1930s led to the development of the...