SBD Dauntless

The SBD Dauntless was a World War II warbird taildragger. It was a dive bomber and two seater scout plane. The Dauntless was known for its range and diving ability during World War II. The Dauntless has a conventional design with the engine being in the front portion of the fuselage. Now, the aircraft has a standard set of machine guns; one on each wing. The Dauntless also has an optional 2,250 pound bomb that can be attached externally. The SBD Dauntless was manufactured by none other than Douglas Aircraft Company. The first flight occurred on May 1st, 1940 and retired its service in 1959. The aircraft had a short but successful life. With in that successful service there has been a total of over 5,000 SBD Dauntless manufactured with many variations. The aircraft has some great specification on top of this that are worth mentioning.  For one, the Dauntless has a wing span of 41′ feet and length of 33′ feet. The aircraft also has a height of 13.5 feet. Now, the aircraft also has an empty weight of about 6,400 pounds. Moreover, the SBD Dauntless has a range of 1,115 miles and a top speed of 255mph. The engine that is used in the SBD Dauntless is a Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone air-cooled radial piston engine that produces 1,200 horsepower. Furthermore, the aircraft has a ceiling of 25,000 feet and a climb rate of 1,700 feet per minute. Lastly, the SBD Dauntless is most known for its work in the 1942s. To be more specific during the the Battle of Midway.