SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber (kit card version)

Introduction to the Prototype:

Chinese Name SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber                 Foreign Name SBD Dauntless

Designation Time May 1940                                Country USA

Type Carrier-based Dive Bomber                                 Service Period 1940 to 1953

Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company                        Nickname A-24

The SBD Dauntless dive bomber (English: SBD Dauntless) was a three-seat, single-engine carrier-based dive bomber developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company in the United States. It made its maiden flight on January 23, 1938, and after its design was finalized in May 1940, it entered service with the US Navy and other forces. The aircraft adopted a low-wing layout and honeycomb lattice wing structure, equipped with retractable landing gear and perforated dive brakes (“Swiss cheese” flaps). The main model could carry 726 kilograms of bombs and was known as one of the three main US carrier-based aircraft in the early WWII, along with the F4F Wildcat fighter and the TBD Devastator torpedo bomber. Douglas Aircraft Company produced a total of 5,936 SBD/A-24 aircraft between 1940 and July 1944. This aircraft had the lowest loss rate among US aircraft carrier-based aircraft.

The prototype XBT-1 was designed by Northrop, and in 1939, it was improved into the XSBD-1 for production. The SBD-3 model entered service in 1941, featuring self-sealing fuel tanks and bulletproof armor, and was equipped with the R-1820-52 engine. The SBD-5 model was equipped with a 1200 horsepower engine. This aircraft sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho in the Battle of the Coral Sea and participated in sinking the aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu in the Battle of Midway. Its fleet destroyed a total of 18 enemy ships, including 1 battleship and 6 aircraft carriers. From 1944 onwards, it was replaced by the SB2C Helldiver dive bomber. The final model, SBD-6, first entered service on March 18, 1944, and all were used for secondary tasks such as training and patrol. Some models joined the US Army Air Forces under the name A-24, while others participated in anti-submarine warfare with the British Royal Navy. The French Navy also began using the SBD in late 1944 and retired it in 1949.