Hobby Master Archive

Fully assembled.

Superb detailing in 1/72 scale.

Pre-painted with pad applied markings.

Comes with crew figures Comes with a torpedo.

Display stand included.

Option to display model with wheels up or down.

Minimum use of plastic.

Very collectable.

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series HA2002 Nakajima B5N2 “Kate” torpedo bomber aircraft carrier “Hiryu”, Commander’s aircraft Battle of Midway, June 4-5 1942

The Nakajima B5N filled Japan’s requirement for a mid 1930’s naval torpedo the original B5N’s poor performance in China in the late 1930’s the Japanese made improvements so there were large numbers of B5N2’s available for the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Production ended in 1943 with a total of 1,149 B5N, of which 669 were made by Nakajima, 200 by Aichi and 280 by Hiro Air Arsenal. No Kates survived WWII intact.

At 0430 on June 4, 1942 the Japanese Strike Force launched a Strike Force of 108 aircraft from four aircraft carriers. The three wave attack consisted of 36 B5N2 Kates armed with 1,770 pound contact bombs, 36 Val dive-bombers with 550 pound armor-piercing bombs and escorted by 36 Zero fighters. Lt. Joichi Tomonaga flying a Kate from the Hiryu was in charge of the airborne operation. Later the same day while leading an attack on USS Yorktown Tomonaga was killed trying to deliver his Kate’s torpedo.

Specifications Nakajima B5N2 Designation Imperial Japanese Navy designation: Type 97 Carrier-borne Attack Plane, Model 12 USN designation: Kate Aircraft type Carrier-based torpedo bomber Powerplant 1 X 1,000-hp Nakajima NK1B Sakae 11 14-cylinder radial engine Performance Maximum speed - 235 mph at 11,810 ft. Cruising speed - 161 mph at 9,840ft. Service ceiling - 27,100 ft. Maximum range - 1,237 miles Weights Empty - 5,024lbs. Maximum take-off - 9,039lbs.

Dimensions Wing span - 50ft 11in. Wing area - 405.81 sq ft Length - 33ft 9.5ins. Height - 12 ft 1.5ins.

Crew (3) - 1 x Pilot, 1 x Radio Operator, 1 x Observer/bombardier Armament 1 x 7.7mm machine gun on a mount in rear cockpit A bomb-load of up to 800kg or 1 torpedo

THESE ARE PRE-PRODUCTION PICTURES NOT THE FINAL PRODUCT