SBD Dauntless

SBD Dauntless
Country	USA
Role	Dive bomber – Scout plane
First flight	1 May 1940
Built	5936

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD (“Scout Bomber Douglas”) was the United States Navy’s main carrier-borne scout plane and dive bomber from mid-1940 through mid-1944. The SBD was also flown by the United States Marine Corps, both from land air bases and aircraft carriers. The SBD is best remembered as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The type earned its nickname “Slow But Deadly” (with the SBD initials) during this period.

Source: SBD-5 Dauntless sur Wikipedia

SBD-5 Dauntless
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Photos	53

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Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless
Photograph	Vladimir Yakubov
Locate	Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs,
Photos	101

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Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless Walk Around
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Localisation	USS Yorktown CV-10
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Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless Walk Around
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Localisation	Capital City Airshow
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Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless

Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless Walk Around
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Douglas SBD Dauntless: The “Eighty-Eight” of the Skies

The Douglas SBD Dauntless (Scout Bomber Douglas) was the primary carrier-based dive bomber and scout plane of the United States Navy and Marine Corps during the first half of World War II. Though slow compared to later aircraft, its reliability and deadly accuracy earned it the nickname “Slow But Deadly.”

Historical Significance

The Dauntless is most famous for its pivotal role in the Battle of Midway (June 1942), where its dive bombers delivered the decisive strikes that sank four Japanese aircraft carriers in a matter of minutes. This single action is widely considered the turning point of the Pacific War.

The SBD fleet ultimately accounted for the destruction of more Japanese shipping, including six aircraft carriers, than any other Allied naval aircraft.

Design and Function

The SBD was a two-seat, low-wing monoplane. Its robust and simple design made it highly durable and easy to maintain.

Dive Brakes: The aircraft’s signature feature was its perforated dive brakes (flaps with numerous holes) on the trailing edge of the wings. These deployed during a dive to limit speed and prevent flutter, giving the pilot a rock-steady platform for precise, near-vertical dive-bombing.
Bomb Delivery: A large central bomb (up to 1,600 lbs) was carried on a swinging trapeze under the fuselage. This mechanism ensured the bomb cleared the propeller during the steep dive pull-out.
Crew and Armament: It carried a crew of two: a pilot and a rear gunner/radioman.
- Forward Firepower: Two fixed, forward-firing .50 caliber machine guns mounted in the engine cowling, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.
- Defensive Firepower: One or two flexible-mounted .30 caliber machine guns in the rear cockpit, operated by the gunner to deter enemy fighters attacking from the rear.
Variants: Later, more powerful variants, such as the SBD-5, featured a 1,200 hp Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial engine, along with increased crew armor and self-sealing fuel tanks.

Despite being considered technically obsolete by 1944, the Dauntless remained a highly effective dive bomber and a critical asset until its gradual replacement by the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver.