Description
The basic design of the SBD Dauntless
was done at Northrop's El Segunto factory.
When the El Segunto factory was sold to Douglas Corporation,
the XBT-2 that had been under development was renamed XSBD-1, and
the development was taken over and became the basis of the SBD Dauntless.
Mass production began in April 1939,
with 57 SBD-1s for the Marine Corps and 87 SBD-2s for the Navy.
Mass production of 174 SBD-3 aircraft was ordered after the surrender of France, and
many improvements were made by incorporating the lessons learned in Europe.
The engine has the same horsepower, but
has been replaced with an improved R-1820-52.
Bulletproof measures for the crew and fuel tank have also been strengthened, with
reinforced bulletproof steel plates and bulletproof tanks being adopted across the board.
Armament has also been upgraded from two 7.7mm machine guns to two 12.7mm machine guns in the nose, and
two 7.7mm rotating machine guns in the rear seat.
Other improvements include strengthening the electrical system from 12V to 24V and
lowering the air intake in the nose to improve forward visibility.
These modifications have increased the aircraft's weight and reduced its maximum speed.
Even so, after the outbreak of war between Japan and the United States, an additional 500 aircraft were ordered, and
a total of 584 SBD-3s were produced.
These aircraft were active in Midway Seafood and the Battle of the Coral Sea.
The SBD-4, which began deliveries in October 1942,
was equipped with a radio navigation aid and rudimentary airborne radar,
greatly improving its combat capabilities compared to the SBD-3.
In addition, one electric fuel pump was added, and
one for emergency use was also added.
Additionally, the propeller was changed from a constant speed propeller
to a Hamilton Standard Hydromatic constant speed propeller,
allowing him to use the engine's power more efficiently.
SBD-4 was produced in larger numbers than SBD-3, with 780 units produced.
After this, the Dauntless was followed by Type 5 and Type 6, and was adopted by the Army as the A-24,
not only establishing an era as an American dive bomber, but also
having a low-wing monoplane with retractable main landing gear. The aircraft layout, which placed the crew in tandem,
had a lot of influence on the propeller-equipped dive bombers that were designed later.
《Data》 (SDB-3)
Crew: 2 people
Overall width: 12.65m
Overall length: 9.80m
Overall height: 4.14m
Complete weight: 4,717kg
Engine: P&W R-1820-52 (takeoff output 1,000 horsepower)
Maximum speed: 402km/h
Fixed armament: 12.7mm fixed machine gun x 2, 7.7mm rotating machine gun x 2
