Mitsubishi B5M
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The Mitsubishi B5M was an Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) land-based attack aircraft, originally intended for aircraft carrier use. The B5M was also given the long formal designation Script error: No such module "Nihongo". and Allied reporting name of Mabel. This aircraft was mistakenly known as the Nakajima Army 97 by the British.Template:Sfn
The B5M was designed in response to a 1935 specification for a new bomber for use on the IJNAS aircraft carriers (Mitsubishi Navy Experimental 10-Shi Carrier Torpedo Attacker). The machine was to have a crew of three, folding wings for flight deck storage, a speed of not less than 322 km/h (200 mph), a flight endurance of not less than seven hours, and the ability to carry at least 800 kg (1,760 lb) of bombs - a tall order for a single-engine aircraft of the mid-1930s. It was intended as a backup for the Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber. Although designed as a carrier-based aircraft, it was relegated to land-based torpedo bomber duties in World War II. One-hundred twenty-five were built.
Operational history
The aircraft that Mitsubishi produced first flew in 1937 and was an all-metal, low-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed undercarriage and large wheel spats. The crew of three sat in a long canopy that had a smooth transition to the fuselage. The B5M1s began equipping Japanese Naval units in late 1937, but their performance was never as satisfactory as other Japanese aircraft carrier-based bombers. The B5M1's performance was considered marginal, and only one-hundred twenty-five were manufactured. While they had originally been intended for aircraft carrier use, the majority were employed during the early months of World War II from land bases in Southeast Asia and China, where they were confronted by weak or no enemy fighter opposition. These machines ended their careers as trainers, target tugs, and kamikazes.
Variants
- B5M1:Three-seat attack aircraft for the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Operators
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Specifications (Mitsubishi B5M1)
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
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Bibliography
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- Francillon, René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam, 1970. Template:ISBN.
- Francillon, René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. Template:ISBN.
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External links
Template:Mitsubishi aircraft Template:Japanese Navy short aircraft designations Template:Allied reporting names