Hobby Master HA0102 | SBD-2 Dauntless, VMSB-241 Battle of Midway, June 4-7, 1942

General Background:

The air craft first started out as the Northrup BT-1 but when Douglas took them over it immediately was re-designated the Douglas SBD Dauntless. Since Douglas Aircraft produced the SBD it and it's basic role was that of Scout Bomber SBD stood for Scout Bomber Douglas. It had a designation period from 1934 - 1946. Designed with the basic
role of Scout Bomber  the plane was crewed by a pilot and an observer.

The Aircraft:

Battle of Midway, VMSB-241 "Sons of Satan".
Off the shores of this tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, a naval battle took place that has to
rank at the top as one of the most analyzed battles of modern time, air, sea or land. The
“Battle of Midway” on June 4, 1942.
By the time of the battle off Midway, at least two VMSB squadrons were brought together
on March 1 to form VMSB-241, the “Sons of Satan”. The squadron was equipped with
two types of airplanes, the SBD and the SB2U and each type operationally worked as
separate squadrons. Most of the pilots and gunners had adequate to good training; none
had any combat experience. Lack of fuel meant greatly reduced training flights  and much
needed experience. The 241 received their SBDs on May 26 which meant they
unknowingly only had 9 days to train on an aircraft that was all new to them. This left very
little time to practise the art of "Helldiving" which was the term given to the method of
attack. This is where the SBDs replacement would get it's name, SB2C "Helldiver".
The Marines VMSB-241’s SBD-2s were hand me downs from VB-2 as the Navy VB/VS
squadrons received the SBD-3 aircraft in mid-1941.

By June 4 when the battle started, all USN and USMC aircraft involved had been painted
and received the marking scheme that would be used into 1943. Up until about a month
prior to the battle the aircraft wore the national insignia that had a red circle in the center
of it and the red and white stripes on the rudders were also removed.
Though theDauntless was slow in speed and lightly armed, SBD pilots and gunners shot
down 138 enemy aircraft in air to air combat.

From mid-1940 until November 1943 the Douglas Dauntless, nicknamed the “Barge”, “Clunk” and best of all “Slow But Deadly”, was the standard U.S. Navy carrier dive-bomber. It was gradually phased out by the Curtiss Helldiver with the SBDs last major carrier action coming on June 20, 1944 against the Japanese Mobile Fleet during the
“Battle of the Philippine Sea”

Aircraft specifications 

SDB-2 had increased fuel capacity but reduced again once self sealing fuel tanks were
available,  different armament from the SBD-1
2 forward firing .50 caliber machine guns.
Tail gunner equipped with twin .30 caliber machine guns.
Capable of carrying a 1600 lb bomb under the fuselage, a crutch was used to swing it
clear of the propeller in a dive.
Capable of carrying a 650 lb bomb under each wing.
87 SBD-2s were made.

Length: 32’ 1” (9.7m)
Height: 13’ 7” (4.1m)
Wingspan: 41’ 6” (12.6m)
Wing area: 325 sq. ft (30.0 sq. m)
Empty weight: 5,652 lb. (2,564 kg)
Gross weight: 10,337 lb. (4,698 kg)
Max. weight: 10,360 lb. (4,699 kg)

Engine: 1  Wright R-1820-32
Horsepower: 1,000

Range: 1,225 miles (1,970 km)
Cruise speed: 148 mph (238 km/h) (128 kt)
Max speed: 256 mph (412 km/h) (222 kt)
Climb rate: 1.080 ft/min. (329 m/min.)
Ceiling: 27,260 ft (8,319 m)