Nakajima B6N "Jill"
Nakajima Aircraft Company · Japan · first flew 1941 · bomber
The Nakajima B6N Tenzan (Allied code name Jill) was the successor to the B5N Kate, designed as a fast carrier-based torpedo bomber with significantly greater speed and range.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Slender fuselage with a powerful Mamoru or Kasei radial engine in a close-fitting cowling |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Long-nosed torpedo bomber with a distinctive angular fin canted slightly to port
- Slender fuselage with a powerful Mamoru or Kasei radial engine in a close-fitting cowling
- Three-seat crew in tandem under a long continuous greenhouse canopy
Slender low-wing monoplane similar in layout to the B5N but with a longer nose, higher speed, and a distinctive slightly offset vertical tail fin canted to starboard at the base.
Specifications
- The Nakajima B6N Jill has a length of 10.87 m (36 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.89 m (49 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 481 km/h (299 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Development began in 1939 to a Navy specification for a B5N replacement; the B6N1 prototype flew in March 1941 but engine problems delayed service entry until 1943. The B6N saw its first major action in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944), where heavy losses to US fighters and antiaircraft fire left it largely ineffective. It continued in service to the war's end, including kamikaze operations.
Variants
The B6N1 Tenzan Model 11 used the troublesome Mamoru 11 engine; the B6N2 Model 12 switched to the Mitsubishi Kasei 25 and became the main production version.
Where you'll see it
Operated from Japanese fleet carriers from 1943 onward; suffered severe attrition during the Marianas Turkey Shoot and subsequent campaigns. No airworthy examples survive.
Related aircraft
- Nakajima C6N Myrt
- Nakajima B5N Kate
- Avro Lancaster
- Avro Lancaster B.I
- Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress
- Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Woomera
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.