Douglas SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless is 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-based scout/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" (from its SBD initials) during this period, along with a rarely-used accompanying nickname of "Furious D."
| SBD Dauntless A-24 Banshee | |
|---|---|
| A restored SBD-5 Dauntless from the Planes of Fame Air Museum | |
| Role | Dive bomber Scout plane |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft |
| Designer | Ed Heinemann |
| First flight | 1 May 1940 |
| Introduction | 1940 |
| Retired | 1959 (Mexico) |
| Primary users | United States Navy United States Marine Corps United States Army Air Forces Free French Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Produced | 1940–1944 |
| Number built | 5,936 |
| Developed from | Northrop BT |
During its combat service, the SBD proved to be an excellent naval scout plane and dive bomber. It possessed long range, good handling characteristics, maneuverability, potent bomb load, great diving characteristics from the perforated dive brakes, good defensive armament, and ruggedness. One land-based variant of the SBD – omitting the arrestor hook — was purpose-built for the U.S. Army Air Forces, as the A-24 Banshee.