Mitsubishi B2M

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B2M
Type Torpedo Bomber
Manufacturer Mitsubishi
Maiden flight 28 December 1929
Introduced 1932
Primary user Imperial Japanese Navy
Number built 206
Developed from Blackburn Ripon

The Mitsubishi B2M was a Japanese carrier based torpedo bomber of the 1920s and 30s. It was built by Mitsubishi to a design by Blackburn Aircraft of Britain and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

In 1927, the Japanese company Mitsubishi commissioned the British aircraft manufacturer Blackburn Aircraft to design an aircraft, which would be built under licence by Mitsubishi if successful, to enter a competition held by the Imperial Japanese Navy for a carrier based reconnaissance and torpedo bomber to replace its Mitsubishi B1M aircraft. Blackburn developed a design, the Blackburn T.7B, which was an enlarged development of their Ripon torpedo bomber, which was under development for Britain's Fleet Air Arm.[1] The T.7B was a three seat biplane of steel tube construction and with high aspect ratio wings fitted with Handley Page slats, powered by a 625 hp (466 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr engine.

The design was declared the winner of the competition, with a prototype (referred to as the 3MR4) being ordered from Blackburn. This first flew on 28 December 1929 at Blackburn's factory at Brough, Yorkshire,[1] and was shipped to Japan in February 1930.[2]

Three development prototypes were built by Mitsubishi in Japan before the aircraft was adopted as the Navy Type 89-1 Model 1 Carrier Attack Aircraft or Mitsubishi B2M1.[3]

[edit] Operational history

The B2M1 entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in March 1932 [3], serving abord the aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga and Hōshō. Modifications to improve maintainability resulted in the B2M2 or Navy Type 89-2 Carrier Attack Aircraft, which otherwise showed little improvement in performance over the B2M1. Production of both versions totalled 204 aircraft [3].

B2Ms were extensively used for high and low-level bombing attacks against China in the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 [3][4].

[edit] Variants

Blackburn T.7B
Prototype aircraft built by Blackburn Aircraft.
Mitsubishi 3MR4
Three Japanese built prototypes.
Misubishi B2M1
Initial production aircraft.
Mitsubishi B2M2
Improved production variant with reduced wingspan and modified tail.

[edit] Operators

Flag of Japan Japan

[edit] Specifications (B2M1)

Data from World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft [2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Three
  • Length: 10.27 m (33 ft 8 in)
  • Wingspan: 15.22 m (49 ft 11 in)
  • Height: 3.71 m (12 ft 2 in)
  • Wing area: 55 m² [5] (592 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 2,260 kg[5] (4,982 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 3,600 kg (7,900 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1× Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr V-12, 485 kW (650 hp)

Performance

Armament

  • One forward firing 7.7 mm machine gun and one flexible machine gun in rear cockpit.
  • One 800 kg (1,760 lb) torpedo or equivalent weight of bombs

[edit] See also

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Mason, Francis K (1994). The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0 85177 861 5. 
  2. ^ a b Angelucci, Enzo (1981). World Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing. ISBN 0 7106 0148 4. 
  3. ^ a b c d Donald, David (Editor) (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-85605-375-X. 
  4. ^ Håkans Aviation page – Sino-Japanese Air War 1937. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
  5. ^ a b c Mikesh, Robert C; Abe, Shorzoe (1990). Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, p.167-168. ISBN 0 85177 840 2. 

[edit] External links


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