#SBD DAUNTLESS SERIES#
A total of 2,250lb of external ordnance was capable.Ĭapabilities for the SBD were adequate considering the type, with power derived from the single Wright-brand R-1820 series air-cooled engine rated at over 1,000 horsepower (and achieving progressively better returns as new engines were introduced throughout her production life). The real meat and potatoes for the SBD was in her ability to carried a substantial bomb load that could be supplanted by depth charges if need be. The empennage was a traditional assembly with a single vertical tail surface. Wings were of low-wing monoplane types situated under the fuselage and featured the noticeably large perforated dive flaps so consistent with the series. The pilot doubled as the bombardier and also manned fixed-forward gun systems which (eventually) would feature two 12.7mm (.50 caliber) heavy machine guns. The rear cockpit contained a trainable gun position (7.62mm type machine guns) and played a major defensive role in the survival of many an SBD system and crew. The glazed cockpit could accommodate two personnel - the pilot in a forward area and the gunner in a rear cockpit, seated back-to-back. The Douglas SBD would build for itself a history of resilience despite its inherent limitations in design - a history that very few other aircraft of the war would be able to match - and be responsible for the sinking of thousands of tons of Japanese shipping.ĭesign was conventional with the large radial engine mounted in the extreme forward portion of the fuselage, just forward of the cockpit. Despite its classification and appearance, the SBD Dauntless could more than handle its own against the lightly armored Japanese fighters in the Theater. Though a product of the middle-to-late 1930's, the type continued to soldier on even as more advanced warplanes were appearing out of American factories as the war progressed. © All Text and Images Copyright The Flying Mule, Inc.The Douglas DBS Dauntless dive bomber was a key cog in the America Navy war effort throughout the Pacific during World War 2. Help Contact Us Coupons Newsletter Facebook Product List Privacy Site Map Presentation stand to display the aircraft "in flight".Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.Diecast metal and plastic construction.Motor City Classics "Militaria Diecast" diecast airplanes feature: The Motor City Classics "Militaria Diecast" range presents affordable, ready made diecast models of military aircraft. © Copyright 2003-2023 The Flying Mule, Inc. During the Battle of Midway, SBD dive-bomber attacks fatally damaged all four of the Japanese aircraft carriers, and heavily damaged two cruisers.
The rear cockpit contained a machine gun and played a major defensive role. The cockpit accommodated the pilot, who doubled as the bombardier and manned a fixed-forward gun. The Dauntless featured "Swiss cheese" flaps-dive brakes punched with 3-inch holes, which helped it achieve pinpoint accuracy when diving to the target. The strike group, less the ditched SBD and the lost F4F, recovered back aboard the Enterprise shortly after 9am, and the carrier turned around to head east for safety.ĭouglas SBD Dauntless First flown in 1938, The Douglas SBD Dauntless was the United States Navy's main dive-bomber during World War II. The crew was soon picked up by a Japanese patrol boat, and spent the next three years in captivity. One SBD was badly hit and set on fire by a shell, which forced the pilot to ditch 10 miles of the coast of Marcus. VS-6 followed and scored additional direct hits on a radio building, but anti-aircraft fire was heavy which forced the pilots to escape the area quickly with little opportunity to assess bomb damage. Several hits were scored which cratered the runway and demolished a suspected hangar. Attacking first, VB-6's SBDs went after runways and other air facilities - oil tanks, repair shops, and revetments. The strike group consisted of 32 SBDs, with 6 VF-6 F4Fs as escort in the event that aircraft were based at Marcus" still-under-construction airfield. USN VS-6, Black S-7, Dale Hinton/Jack Leming, USS Enterprise, Marcus Island, March 4th 1942 Limited Editionįor the pre-dawn launch on March 4th, the Enterprise Air Group enjoyed much better weather than it had at Wake Island. Motor City Classics Militaria Diecast 27287-38 SBD Dauntless 1:72 Diecast Model - Motor City Classics MY-27287-38 - $39.95
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