Earlier, it survived the Pearl Harbor attack while assigned to an aircraft pool on Ford Island, and served in Bombing Squadron (VB) 2 aboard the carrier Lexington (CV-2), taking part in raids on Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea, in early 1942. The SBD-2 on display, Bureau Number 2106, is the only known surviving aircraft from the Midway battle, assigned to Marine Scout Bombing Squadron (VMSB) 241. Popularly known as the Douglas Dauntless, the U.S. Called the "Speedy Dee" by its pilots, the Dauntless established a reputation for ruggedness and reliability. Read The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War Two by Barrett Tillman available from Rakuten Kobo. iv When production ended Douglas had built 5,936 Dauntless aircraft. The USAAC wanted an aircraft similar to the German Junkers Ju 87 iii dive bomber. Army Air Corps (USAAC) also purchased almost 900 of these aircraft, designated the A-24 Banshee. In a matter of minutes SBDs sank three Japanese carriers and heavily damaged a fourth that was attacked again and sunk the following day. By the spring of 1941 the SBD-3 Dauntless was in service. Glue, paint and finishing supplies not included. bomb, the SBD's steep dive bombing attack was devastating to ship targets, as was amply demonstrated during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Revell 1/48 US Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber 855249. One important improvement was to the hydraulic system, improving dive brake operation. By December 1941, 584 SBD-3s had been sent to Navy and Marine squadrons.Ĭapable of delivering a 1,000 lb. By spring 1941, the SBD-3 appeared, incorporating self-sealing fuel tanks, extra armor and two. machine guns in the engine cowling and either one or two. The SBD-2 had increased fuel capacity and was armed with two. The classic Douglas dive-bomber of World War II served the Navy brilliantly as the SBD Dauntless, while the virtually identical A-24 Banshee had only a. In April 1939 orders were placed for 57 SBD-1s and 87 SBD-2s, the former for the Marines, the latter to go to the Navy. The new aircraft, built at Northrop's El Segundo plant, which had become a division of Douglas Aircraft, evolved into Douglas' famous Dauntless dive bomber. Dauntlesses accounted for the sinking of four Japanese carriers at Midway, turning the tide of the Pacific War.Ī refined version of Northrop's BT-1 dive bomber that had been developed in 1935, the prototype SBD was actually a BT-1 that had undergone numerous structural and engine changes, and was redesignated the XBT-2. Throughout World War II, the Dauntless proved a highly effective dive bomber with the Marine Corps, its unique split flap/dive brake allowing for very steep and accurate diving attacks (70 degrees). This meant that the pilots of these SBD Dauntless dive bombers would have to put their planes into a steep dive hitting up to 275 mph, keeping their eye on the altimeter gauge and the bomb site. This one-of-a-kind SBD Dauntless, Bureau Number 2106, is a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor and participated in dive bombing runs against a Japanese carrier during the pivotal Battle of Midway, making it one of the most historic aircraft in existence. Every dive-bombing run in a Dauntless was a death-defying act.
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