Scott Hanko
SBD Dauntless
Designed as light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, Dauntless SBD (Scout Bomber Douglas) monoplanes served during WWII with US Marine Corps, Army and Navy air squadrons. The Dauntless originated with the design of the Northrop BT-1 of which the Northrop Corporation was a subsidiary of The Douglas Aircraft Corporation. Northrop was dissolved on September 8, 1937 and Northrop designs continued production under Douglas.1 The aircraft was a low-wing cantilever configuration of all-metal construction, except for fabric covered flight controls. It had a two-man tandem cockpit with dual flight controls and hydraulically actuated perforated split dive-brakes. On November 28, 1937 numerous major modifications were ordered of the BT-1, one of which was the landing gear being changed from retracting backwards into large fairing trousers beneath the wings, to folding laterally into recessed wheel wells.2 The new model, the XBT-2, became the forerunner of the now well known Dauntless.
When the aircraft was delivered to Anacosta for flight testing with a larger 1,000 hp Wright R-1920-G133 engine, the performance was greater than expected with a top speed of 265 mph (429 km/h). The aircraft was then delivered to Langley Memorial Aeronautical Institute for wind tunnel tests and numerous design changes were made. Modifications were made to the flight controls, leading edge slots and a dorsal fin were added. The perforated flaps developed on the BT-1 were retained to eliminate tail buffeting during diving maneuvers.
The initial order was for 36 aircraft, but was increased to 144 which included both SBD-1s and SBD-2s. Modifications included a center auxiliary fuel tank for a total capacity of 210 gallons. The production engine was a 1,000 hp Wright R-1820-32. Armament consisted of two forward firing 0.50 in machine guns (mg) in the engine nose cowling and one flexible rearward firing, drum-fed 0.30 mg. A swinging bomb cradle carried a 1,000 lb bomb below the fuselage and a 100 lb bomb was mounted under each wing. The bomb cradle was designed so that the bomb would swing clear of the prop during dive-bombing maneuvers.
USS Midway Aircraft Carrier CV-41 Museum-San Diego Ca.
SBD Dauntless
Designed as light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, Dauntless SBD (Scout Bomber Douglas) monoplanes served during WWII with US Marine Corps, Army and Navy air squadrons. The Dauntless originated with the design of the Northrop BT-1 of which the Northrop Corporation was a subsidiary of The Douglas Aircraft Corporation. Northrop was dissolved on September 8, 1937 and Northrop designs continued production under Douglas.1 The aircraft was a low-wing cantilever configuration of all-metal construction, except for fabric covered flight controls. It had a two-man tandem cockpit with dual flight controls and hydraulically actuated perforated split dive-brakes. On November 28, 1937 numerous major modifications were ordered of the BT-1, one of which was the landing gear being changed from retracting backwards into large fairing trousers beneath the wings, to folding laterally into recessed wheel wells.2 The new model, the XBT-2, became the forerunner of the now well known Dauntless.
When the aircraft was delivered to Anacosta for flight testing with a larger 1,000 hp Wright R-1920-G133 engine, the performance was greater than expected with a top speed of 265 mph (429 km/h). The aircraft was then delivered to Langley Memorial Aeronautical Institute for wind tunnel tests and numerous design changes were made. Modifications were made to the flight controls, leading edge slots and a dorsal fin were added. The perforated flaps developed on the BT-1 were retained to eliminate tail buffeting during diving maneuvers.
The initial order was for 36 aircraft, but was increased to 144 which included both SBD-1s and SBD-2s. Modifications included a center auxiliary fuel tank for a total capacity of 210 gallons. The production engine was a 1,000 hp Wright R-1820-32. Armament consisted of two forward firing 0.50 in machine guns (mg) in the engine nose cowling and one flexible rearward firing, drum-fed 0.30 mg. A swinging bomb cradle carried a 1,000 lb bomb below the fuselage and a 100 lb bomb was mounted under each wing. The bomb cradle was designed so that the bomb would swing clear of the prop during dive-bombing maneuvers.
USS Midway Aircraft Carrier CV-41 Museum-San Diego Ca.