Commemorative Air Force Douglas SBD-5 “Dauntless”

History:
Commemorative Air Force SBD “Dauntless” Lady in Blue

In 1957, a small group of ex-service pilots pooled their money to purchase a P-51 Mustang, beginning what is now called the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). With the addition of a pair of F8F Bearcats, the CAF became the founders of the Warbird Movement, an effort to preserve and honor our military history with the rallying cry to “Keep ‘Em Flying!” Now, 55 years later, the CAF is the premier Warbird organization, operating 156 vintage aircraft in Honor of American Military Aviation. A non-profit educational association, the CAF has approximately 9,000 members operating this fleet of historic aircraft, distributed to 70 units located in 28 states. For more information, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org or call (432) 563-1000.
The Douglas SBD Dauntless is one of only two actively flying examples of a naval dive bomber that was made by Douglas during World War II. SBD stands for Scout Bomber Douglas and was the main dive bomber used by the US Navy from mid-1940 until late 1943. At that time it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver. SBD has also been lovingly known to mean “Slow But Deadly”, and yet although slow and outmoded when it began its combat career, it was a rugged and dependable machine and was accredited to sinking more Japanese ships than any other aircraft during World War II.
Specifications:
Primarily produced at the Douglas plant at Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Equipped with a 1,200 hp R1820-60 engine.

2,965 SBD-5’s were built, and a few were shipped to the Royal Navy for evaluation.

Top

Specifications

Registration Number	Date of Manufacture
NL82GA	1939
Aircraft Role	Nickname
Carrier based Bomber	“Slow but Deadly”
Aircraft Type:	Wingspan:
Douglas SBD “Dauntless”	41 feet 6 inches
Overall length:	Empty weight:
33 feet 10 inches	6536 pounds
Gross weight:	Fuel capacity:
9519 pounds	773 miles
Oil capacity	Engine type:
	Single 1350 hp Wright R1820-66 radial piston engine
Propeller type:	Max Speed
Hamilton 4 Blade	255 mph
Rate of Climb	Cruise Speed

Service Ceiling	Number of Crew
25,000 feet	Three
Armament	Bomb Load
Two 12.7 mm Forward +Two 7.62 mm flexible machine guns machine guns	1600 lbs fuselage mounted + 650 lbs under wing
Number Built	Number Surviving
5936	3