Not possessed of outstanding performance, and retained in production long after it was technically obsolete, thanks to prolonged problems with the SB2C, the Douglas Dauntless was nevertheless one of the pivotal aircraft of World War II, thanks to the actions of six SBD squadrons on one afternoon in June 1942, off Midway.

The SBD's design actually predated the "old" Northrop firm becoming the Douglas El Segundo Division, and stemmed from Northrop's BT-1 dive bomber.

Variants SBD-1: Initial production Dauntless version, deliveries of which to USMC squadrons began in 1939.

SBD-2: Extra fuel, self-sealing tanks, carrier-capable.

SBD-3: The -3 model originated from an export order from France; as the French had been learning from early combat over the continent, they specified self-sealing tanks, armor, and two-gun aft station. France fell before the order could be delivered, but these first really combat-ready Dauntlesses found a ready home with the USN.

SBD-3A: A-24 for the USAAF

SBD-4: As the -3, but with a 24-volt electric system.

SBD-4A: A-24A for the USAAF

SBD-5: Tulsa-built aircraft with R-1820-60; 2,409 built.

SBD-5A: A-24B for the USAAF

SBD-6: 451 aircraft with R-1820-66

Dauntless Bibliography: Review: Walk Around: SBD Dauntless by Richard S. Dann, 2004 Includes scrap view drawings of the Mk III and Mk VIII gun sights, AN-N4 gun camera, a large 3-view drawing of the SBD-3; color profiles include SBD-1 1741 of VMB-2, SBD-2 2108 of VB-2, an SBD-3 Coral Sea veteran of VS-5, RNZAF SBD-3 NZ5003, a VC-22 SBD-4, and an SBD-5 in the Atlantic ASW scheme

Paul Eden, Soph Moeing Aircraft Anatomy of World War II: Technical Drawing of Key Aircraft 1939-1945 p.44-47: SBD-3 cutaway, large color artwork of a Marine SBD-1 of VMB-1 in prewar high-visibility colors

Ad for Pesco, with color artwork showing an SBD attacking a Japanese battleship Aviation February 1943 p.213

"Coming in on a wing...and Douglas Dependability" Aviation December 1943 p.298 Douglas Aircraft ad - artwork shows a damaged SBD on a carrier deck

Dauntless cutaway drawing Flying May 1944 p.63

Gaither Littrell "The Dauntless" includes photos of the XBT-1, BT-1 with tricycle gear, and the XBT-2 Flying January 1945

"Carrier Classic" Scale Modeler May 1969 building Monogram's 1/48 Dauntless kit - includes a large color profile of an SBD-3 from Scouting Two at Coral Sea

Peter Smith "The Pensacola Eight" FlyPast February 1998 Details SBDs recovered from Lake Michigan for the NMNA.

Steve A. Evans "Dependable Dive-bomber" Scale Aviation Modeller International December 2004 building the 1/48 Dauntless kit from Hasegawa. Also included is a walk around photo article.

Color profiles, including an SBD-1 from VMSB-232, an SBD-3 from VS-6, Chilean and Mexican A-24s, and a RNZAF SBD-5 Scale Aviation Modeller January 2005

Jay Laverty "Undaunted" Model Airplane International September 2006 Build article on Trumpeter's 1/32 scale Dauntless kit

Peter Straka "Sixty years After the War" Scale Aviation Modeller International June 2009 Building Hasegawa's -1 Dauntless as a submerged wreck

Robert Macri "Slow But Deadly" Skymodel 20/09 p.14-19 building the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 SBD-3 kit

Philip Gore "Detail a Dauntless" FineScale Modeler March 2015 p.47-51 building the Merit 1/18 SBD-3 as a Coral Sea aircraft

Don Robson "Quickbuild - Douglas Dauntless" Scale Aviation Modeller international January 2017 The 1/48 Eduard SBD-5 kit as a RNZAF aircraft.

David Mondey The Hamlyn Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II p.125-127: Color profiles include a VMSB-232 SBD-1, VS-41 SBD-3 during Operation Torch, a VSB-6 SBD-3, VMSB-243 SBD-4, RNZAF SBD-5, 312th BG (Dive) A-24B, French A-24B, and SBD-5s of the French Aeronavale and Mexican Air Force.

David Donald, editor American Airplanes of World War II ISBN 0-7607-2274-9 p.118-121: SBD-3 cutaway illustration, color profile of a VMSB-243 SBD-4, color 3-view of a VS-41 SBD-3 with Operation Torch markings.

Phil Butler Air Arsenal North America: Aircraft for the Allies 1938-1945 - Purchases and Lend-Lease p.126 picture of a Mexican Air Force RA-24B; p.200-201 photos of aFleet Air Arm SBD-3 and an RNZAF A-24, serial number data for Lend-Lease aircraft.

Dana Bell Air Force Colors Vol.1 1926-1942 p.87 photo: Formation of 27th BG A-24s.

Barrett Tillman SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2 includes a 1/72 scale SBD-3 5-view drawing

Robert Lawson, Barrett Tillman Carrier Air War in Original WWII Color p.22: color photo of an SBD-1 of VMB-2

Walter A. Musciano Warbirds of the Sea p.156: scale 3-view of a VS-2 SBD-3

Aircraft Anatomy of World War II: Technical Drawings of Key Aircraft 1939-1945 Paul Eden, Soph Moeing, editors p.44-47: SBD-3 cutaway, large color artwork of a prewar VMB-1 Dauntless

Contrary to what some modern schoolchildren might think (if they think about it all, sad to say) World War II was not fought in black and white. Color photography in one form or another existed decades before the war, although it was not till the mid to late 1930s that Kodak's Kodachrome allowed more photographers to shoot in that format. Robert Lawson and Barrett Tillman have done a masterful job in assembling a wide variety of rare color photos depicting all facets of wartime US Naval Aviation, from flying boats to carrier action. The first chapter alone has such gems as an SBU-1 from USS Ranger, an F4F-3 of VMF-121, Curtiss O2C, Kingfishers in landplane configuration, R3D-2 (DC-5) transports, and a natural metal PBM Mariner. Basically, there is something for everyone here. There are also numerous shots of the carriers themselves, including Yorktown (CV-10) transiting the Panama Canal, an overhead shot of Wasp (CV-7), and Santee (ACV-29) showing her camouflage scheme very well.

The Avenger resulted from a late 1930s Navy requirement for a replacement for the Douglas TBD Devastator. Although the Devastator had only entered service in 1937, it was already apparent that the type was too slow and short-ranged to hold the line for long. Among the specifications for the new aircraft, the Navy stipulated internal carriage of a torpedo or 3 bombs, a power-operated turret, and a top speed of 300mph.

In 1940, Grumman and Vought were contracted to build torpedo bomber prototypes under the designations XTBF and XTBU, respectively. Grumman's design owed much to the company's work on the F4F, although the TBF was of course much larger than the Wildcat.

Grumman built a pair of XTBF-1 prototypes, the first of which flew in August 1941. Save for some detail differences, all the production model Avengers would closely follow the design of the prototypes, Grumman having gotten things "right" from the start. Additionally, there was an urgency to field the type in numbers as quickly as possible, as the US looked increasingly likely to enter the war in the near term. Indeed, the second aircraft's rollout had to be curtailed, as it coincided with the attack on Pearl Harbor.

TBF/TBM-1: Initial production model, with the first example flying on 3 January 1942. A total of 1,525 were built by Grumman, with the second source line at GM's Eastern Aircraft Division turning out 550 TBM-1s.

TBF-1E: Special electronic mission equipment fitted.

TBF-1P: Solitary aircraft fitted for photo recon.

TBF-1L: Night attack model with searchlight in the bomb bay.

TBF/TBM-1C: Four .50-cal wing guns in place of the .30-cal cowl guns of the -1 model.

TBF/TBM-1D: Night attack conversions with ASD-1 radar carried in a pod faired into the starboard wing.

The Avenger's initial combat debut would be in marked contrast to its later successes. VT-8 was still converting over from the Devastator in the summer of 1942, but was able to send a half-dozen aircraft and crews westbound as the USN prepared for the Battle of Midway. the Avengers missed getting aboard the USS Hornet at Pearl Harbor to join VT-8 Devastators on the ship, and so were sent to the atoll to supplement the aircraft there. Together with four Army B-26s, the Avengers sortied on 4 June, but were shot to pieces without scoring any hits. Only one aircraft made it back to Midway, crash landing on one gear.

The major Avenger production model was the TBM-3, produced under license by General Motors to free up Grumman for fighter production, and descended from the Grumman-built XTBF-3 prototypes with the uprated R-2600-20 engine.

The torpedo bomber mission faded quickly postwar, as the USN concentrated on multipurpose attack aircraft such as the Skyraider. However, this by no means meant an end to Navy use of the Avenger, as TBMs would continue in service in secondary roles well into the 1950s. Much less glamorous than their combat counterparts but still important were the TBM-3R COD transports, with the weapons bay converted over to cargo space; seven passengers could also be carried. The CODs provided support to carriers operating off Korea, and were also used to transport the cores of nuclear weapons to CVs embarking heavy attack AJ Savage bombers. The type remained in service long enough to be one of the first aircraft to trap aboard the first supercarrier, the USS Forrestal.

Bibliography:

"TBM Carries Rescue Gear" Naval Aviation News November 1945 p.20 Conversion of TBM-3s at NAS Kaneohe for SAR missions.

Photos: TBM-3 with APS-20 radar as radar picket/AEW aircraft; 1 overall, 2 closeup. Naval Aviation News April 1946 p.1

Photo: surplus TBM crash into a barrier as part of a crash harness test. Naval Aviation News December 1946 p.7

Photo: Avenger making 22,000th landing aboard FDR. Naval Aviation News November 1949 p.23

"Pilot Makes Like Monkey" TBM-3S acident aboard escort carrier USS Palau Naval Aviation News May 1950 p.23

Photo: TBM-3S modified bomb bay carrying twelve sonobuoys rather than the previous standard of six. Naval Aviation News May 1950 p.33

"Turkeys now Transports" Naval Aviation News July 1951 p.25 3 photos.

"Bunyan's Bug Bombers" Covers the operation to create artificial watering holes for Caribou in Minnesota by dropping bombs from USNR aircraft based at NAS Minneapolis. Includes a photo showing a TBM being loaded with a 2,000lb bomb. Naval Aviation News September 1951 p.29

Photo: Hulk of TBM HP-267 of Aeroquimica. Air Pictorial May 1970 p.164

Frank A. Tinker "Old Warbirds Fight On" Air Classics May 1973 Includes several photos of Avengers used as retardant bombers, including aircraft N7849C.

Alan W. Hall "Re-arranging the Avenger: Conversions for the Airfix kit" Airfix Magazine May 1975 Includes 1/72 scale TBM-3 drawing.

Photo: TBM N9564Z hulk Air Classics March 1979 p.14

Photo: TBM N6827C Air Classics March 1979 p.16

Photo Sequence: Loss of TBM-3E BuNo 91556 aboard USS Tarawa. Air Classics June 1979 p.24

Howard Levy "Bush's Baby" Aeroplane Monthly August 1989 p.482-484. Covers the restoration of a TBM-3E to VT-51 markings. Includes photos of the aircraft as borate bomber N90787

Photo: TBM-3Es N9590Z and N9927Z as fire bombers in red/white paint. Warbirds International May 2000 p.54-55

Photo: TBM-3 N4172A Warbirds International May 2000 p.56

"Cavanaugh Avenger" Restored TBM-3E BuNo 86280/N7219C Warbirds International September 2000

Craig Justo "Warbird Reborn! A TBM Metamorphosis" Classic Wings issue 56

Photo: large color side-view of TBM-3U N3967A as a spray aircraft Warbirds International June 2014 p.62-63

Scale Models "Navy Avenger" Scale Modeler July 1981 p.44-49+ Building the Combat Models 1/32 scale vacuform kit.

"Workbench Reviews: Trumpeter's 1/32 scale Avenger" FineScale Modeler May 2005 p.58-59. A review of the 1/32 TBF-1C kit.

"Rejuvenating an Old Frog - Gary Hatcher Breathes New Life into a Grumman Avenger" Scale Aviation Modeller International December 2006

Frank Cuden "Keeping an Avenger in reserve" FineScale Modeler October 2015 p.41-43 The Hasegawa TBM-3S as a New York-based reserve aircraft

Books: American Warplanes of World War II" Edited by David Donald. p.147-154 includes a color profile of a/c 8-T-1 of VT-8, a cutaway drawing of a TBM-1C, and a large color 3-view of a TBF-1.

"The American Bomber Plane" by Ted & Amy Williams. Includes a TBM-1C 3-view, and a good view of the wing fold mechanism.

Edited by Allan Burney Covers the Vietnam service of:

The AH-1, CH-21, CH-47 Chinook, CH-54 Tarhe, OH-13, OH-6A, OH-58A Kiowa, UH-1 Huey, OV-1 Mohawk. (US Army)

A-1 Skyraider, A-3 Skywarrior, A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II, E-1 Tracer, E-2 Hawkeye, EA-6B, F-8 Crusader, F-4 Phantom II, OV-10 Bronco, P-2 Neptune, P-3 Orion, RA-5 Vigilante, SP-5 Marlin, UH-2 Seasprite, SH-3 Sea King, UH-1 Huey, UH-46 Sea Knight. (USN)

A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, EF-10B Skyknight, F-4B Phantom II, F-8 Crusader, TF-9J Cougar, KC-130F Hercules, AH-1J Seacobra, CH-53 Sea Stallion, CH-46 Sea Knight, UH-34D, UH-1E Huey. (USMC)

Plenty of photographs and color profiles; cover painting of a VF-114 F-4J launching a Sparrow. ISBN: 978-1-913295-25-7

The last gasp of the Airacomet design was the XP-83, first flown in February 1945. A principal problem with the early jets was their lack of endurance, a fault attributable to the great thirst of the early turbojets. Bell attempted to remedy this in the XP-83 by designing what amounted to a much-scaled up Airacomet, with sufficient internal room to carry over a thousand gallons of fuel. This came at a toll, as although the -83's J35 engines were much more powerful than the Airacomet's J31s, the XP-83 was heavier empty than the P-59B was loaded. Performance inevitably suffered, and only two XP-83s were built.

The initial prototype was lost in September 1946; the aircraft had been refitted to test ramjet engines underwing, and on this occasion one of the engines caught fire, forcing the pilot and test engineer to bail out. The second aircraft had a larger tail to counter stability problems, but after a short life this example was scrapped.

Armament options for production aircraft would have been 6x.50-cal M2s, an equal number of .60-cal T17E3s, a quartet of 20mm Hispanos, or a single 30mm cannon.

As large as a medium bomber, Bell's Airacuda was designed to meet enemy bombers as far out from US airspace as possible. The aircraft''s unorthodox configuration had V-1710-13s in wing nacelles driving pusher props, with the forward portions of the nacelles forming glazed positions for gunners, each manning one of the large T-9 37mm cannon. As bailing out from these positions would be impeded by the propellers, the gunners would have had to crawl back into the fuselage via wing tunnels before exiting the aircraft in an emergency. Additional armament took the form of .30-caliber machine guns in ventral and beam positions in the fuselage, and a retractable dorsal turret. The prototype Airacuda was flown in September 1937, and was followed by eight YFM-1s (a pair of which later received -41 engines as YFM-1Bs) and three YFM-1As with tricycle gear and a revised canopy.

The Airacuda was never to match expectations, as the V-1710 engines, which were insufficiently powerful for the heavy airframe in the first place, were also prone to overheating. Essentially uncontrollable with only a single engine operating, the Airacuda would lose both engines if the balky APU were to quit, as fuel pressure to the engines (as well as the hydraulics) would be lost. Although the Airacudas were nominally in service for two years, they were recognized as dead ends, and saw little flying. Even after the US entered WWII, there was no use for the type and no further development was carried out, with the nine remaining aircraft being broken up in 1942.

Bibliography: "The New Bell XFM-1 Fighter" Popular Aviation November 1937 p.33 Includes a 3-view diagram.'

Röhm & Haas Company ad, showing an XFM-1 in flight. Aviation February 1938 p.114

Photo: frontal shot of an Airacuda Popular Aviation July 1939 p.53

Bell Aircraft Corporation ad, with artwork depicting an Airacuda overflying a dam Aviation November 1940 p.100

Photo: lineup of three YFM-1s Flying & Popular Aviation December 1940 p.48

XFM-1 3-view with YFM-1A side view Flieger Revue 09-1976 p.395

Andy McCabe "Bell YFM-1 Airacuda" Scale Aviation Modeller April 2008 p.330 Review of the 1/72 Valom kit