The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a single engine, carrier-based bomber aircraft, that was flown by the United States Navy during World War II, mainly over the Pacific Ocean against the Japanese.
History
The SBD bomber was the result of a US-Navy requirement for a new carrier-based all-metal construction bomber aircraft, with a retractable undercarriage. The reconnaissance variant should not have a high
er take-off weight than 5,000 lb (2.268 kg) and should carry 500 lb (227 kg) of bombs. For the main bomber, a maximum weight of 6,000 lb (2.722 kg) and a payload of 1,000 lb (454 kg) were required. The bomber should be equipped with nose-dive air brakes and must be able to survive 9G forces after pulling up from an absolved nose-dive.
The Dauntless was first flown in June 1935. The aircraft was the flag-ship nose-dive bomber of the United States Navy, during the Pacific War. It contributed a lot to the American victories during the Pacific War against the Japanese Imperial Navy.
Until the end of the year 1944, nearly 6000 aircraft had been built. A variant of it, designated as A-24 Banshee, was a modified SBD for the United States Army.