Douglas SBD Dauntless
Product code WS-137
Douglas
Series Warpaint Series No 137
Publisher/Brand Hall Park
Author Kev Darling
Format a4
No. Pages 104
Version Soft cover
Language English
Category Aviationbooks
Subcategory WW2 US » WW2 US Aircraft
Availability only 1 remaining
This product was added to our database on Thursday 30 March 2023.
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The Douglas SBD Dauntless earned itself a reputation as a great dive bomber even though its antecedents were very much of pre-war origin. Many nicknames were given to the SBD during its time in frontline service like 'slow but deadly'. The original concept was developed by Jack Northrop with some help from Ed Heinemann. The resultant aircraft, the BT-1, had quite a few faults that would be rectified when the SBD-1 appeared. Very much a pre-production model the remainder of this first contract was completed as the SBD-2 and had few improvements over the earlier machines. It took the appearance of the SBD-3 to create a more warlike machine that incorporated self sealing fuel tanks, armour plating and improved armament. Each version thereafter showed some improvement , the final version, the SBD-6, being the best of all. The USAAF also used a version of the Dauntless, this being the A-24 Banshee. The only difference between the two models was the lack of naval equipment for carrier operation otherwise it was the same. Unfortunately by the time the SBD-6 appeared the frontline career of the Dauntless was over. However, the Dauntless and its land equivalent the Banshee had other careers with the Royal Navy, the French Air Force and Navy, Chile and Mexico.
20 pages of Colour Profiles
detailed plans
Over 350 many never seen before images
