Jump to content

B5N2 Kate BI -310


VT Red Sox Fan

Recommended Posts

If you lean the mixture but increase the boost, you can get superior range without sacrificing cruise speed.  Basically  this is what Lindberg demonstrated to P-38 pilots in the Pacific.  (Which leaves me wondering why this wasn't taught in flying school.)  Use of this technique results in light grey exhaust stains due to lead deposits, rather than black ones due to carbon from less-than-ideal combustion.  Examples here are the "Grey Nurse" RAAF Spitfire Mk.VIIIs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Graham!  I'd forgotten about that.  So, maybe he'd get back.

 

From what I've read (about Lindberg's work with the 475th Fighter Group, mainly-my uncle was a pilot in that P-38 group, so have a special affinity for it), it made a huge difference, but was very suspiciously looked on, at first.  I guess the big concern was that it would increase maintenance requirements a lot.

 

Tom

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Closing up my Wildcat build linked below and about to start my Kate--I really appreciated the inputs from @dov, @Blimpyboy & @Greenshirt along with many others.  These inputs along with the highly recommended sources from Millman have me ready to build my first deeply research IJN aircraft. 

 

Had a few quick questions to throw out for thoughts from the forum as I get ready to start--it is interesting to me how hard it is to get info on the Kate--where did Airfix get the historical info on the cockpit/rest of the aircraft--usually Airfix puts out a news article on their research, but all I could find was info on the CAD design--is Airfix's cockpit a that "looks about right" or is there more to it?  Finally, regarding the tanks in the cockpit, I have seen both metallic colors recommended for bottles in the navigator compartment--did the IJN have a color standardized colors for oxygen/compressed air--I imagine the bottles in the navigator cockpit are oxygen, and all the period A6M2 photos I can find show black oxygen bottles and silver for compressed gas for aircraft systems.  That said, Airfix says they should be aluminum--similar bottles are not present in Hasegawa's 1/48 & 1/72 Kate's to compare and I it is hard to find this level of detail on IJN aircraft systems

 

Thanks to everyone who has grown my Kate knowledge and for anyones future thoughts--really excited to start this build (finally 🙂 ) best to all, Erwin

 

   

Edited by VT Red Sox Fan
grammer
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know where Airfix got their information from, but I can think of three possibilities.  Bob Mikesh's Japanese Aircraft Cockpits (not sure that has the Kate in it),   The Maru Mechanics series that gave engineering drawings of the type under study, and the Bunrin-Do series covering the Kate.  That's not including any other product from Japanese sources which better-informed individuals might have, or have access to.

 

They might even have contacted the Japanese Aircraft Special Interest Group of IPMS-UK. which would certainly include "better-informed individuals".

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Graham Boak & @Denford—brilliant & thank you!  I am familiar with Mikesh’s book & Maru Mechanic (I reviewed Mikesh but not Maru as I do not have a copy)—but was not familiar with IPMS or the Bunrin-Do series—fascinating material.  Denford—I think you are absolutely on the money—particularly since my Kate will be configured to carry a torpedo—why would they carry oxygen when weight has such an impact on range.  As I thought this through, a few elements from my A6M2 research rang very true—the A6M2’s aluminum colored compressed air cylinder was significantly larger than the black oxygen bottle—it is not to much of a leap to think that a B5N2’s systems would require more air than a Zero—also, now that I have a better scratch at B5N2 knowledge network, I will move forward with my build following Airfix’s recommendation for aluminum colored tanks in the navigator compartment—thank you both for making time to help me out—best, Erwin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...