Douglas SBD Dauntless. Photo. Characteristics. 

USA

A type: single-engine dive bomber

Crew: two people

Aircraft SBD «Dontles» (Dauntless - Undaunted) has been a scourge for the Japanese Imperial Navy in the decisive years of the Pacific War. Almost 54 own SBD aircraft from aircraft carriers "Enterprise" and "Yorktown" won the battle of the central Midueyem 4 1942 year in June, destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers during 24 hours. Aircraft SBD 1942 years can trace their ancestry back to the competed designs created by talented engineers John Northrop and Ed Heinemann in the middle of 1930-ies.

The company "Northrop" created the aircraft VT-1 for the US Navy in the spring of 1938. Its revolutionary all-metal construction with load-bearing lining showed such a margin of safety that it made the plane an ideal candidate for conversion into a dive bomber. By the time when VT-1 was converted into a BT-2 aircraft, Northrop was acquired by Douglas, so the aircraft received the new designation SBD-1. Serial aircraft began to arrive in the marines in 1940 year, and by spring of the next year there was already a different version of SBD-3 in operation. This modification was distinguished by the tested fuel tanks, bullet-proof windshield of the cockpit lantern, armored protection, forced engine and improved armament.

It was built 584 airplane SBD-3, and it was precisely those machines that have become the main combat aircraft in the Pacific in 1942-1943 years. The US Air Force also acquired approximately 900 aircraft "Dontles", which were designated A-24. As a result, 5936 produced aircraft of all modifications SBD / A-24. Today, in the US state of airworthiness of the aircraft survived five SBD / A-24, and recently raised from the bottom of Lake Michigan a few glider aircraft may increase the number of flying machines in the future.

Basic data

Dimensions:

• Length: 10,96 m
• Wingspan: 12,65 m
• Height: 3,94 m

The weight:

• BLANK: 2964 kg
• Maximum take-off: 4318 kg

Aircraft performance characteristics:

• Maximum speed: 410 km / h
• Range: 1244 km

Power point: R-1820-66 Cyclone 9 Company "Wright"

Power: 1350 l. from. (1007 kW)

Date of first flight:

• July 1935 years (aircraft XBT-1)

Surviving airworthiness modifications:

• SBD-5 24A and A / V