Diecast Aircraft Information

MetalWings Diecast Aircraft Reference by Dauntless Aviation

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series
HA0111
SBD-2 Dauntless
VB-2, USS LEXINGTON, prior to WWII

Hobby Master
SBD-2 Douglas
Dauntless:
Heavy die-cast.
Minimum use of plastic.
Professionally painted.
Fully assembled.
Display stand included.
Undercarriage can be
displayed up or down.
Canopy comes with
various options.
A free spinning propeller.
Rubber wheels.
Comes with bombs.
Tampo applied markings
not decals. Accurately
painted color scheme.

Facts about the SBD:
The air craft first started out as the Northrup BT-1 but when Douglas took them over it
immediately was re-designated the Douglas SBD Dauntless. Since Douglas Aircraft
produced the SBD it and it's basic role was that of Scout Bomber SBD stood for Scout
Bomber Douglas. It had a designation period from 1934 - 1946. Designed with the role of
Scout Bomber the plane was crewed by a pilot and an observer.

Aircraft specs.
SDB-2 had increased fuel capacity but reduced again once self sealing fuel tanks were
available, different armament from the SBD-1
2 forward firing .50 caliber machine guns.
Tail gunner equipped with twin .30 caliber machine guns.
Capable of carrying a 1600 lb bomb under the fuselage, a crutch was used to swing it
clear of the propeller in a dive.
Capable of carrying a 650 lb bomb under each wing.
87 SBD-2s were made.

Length: 32’ 1” (9.7m)
Height: 13’ 7” (4.1m)
Wingspan: 41’ 6” (12.6m)
Wing area: 325 sq. ft (30.0 sq. m)
Empty weight: 5,652 lb. (2,564 kg)
Gross weight: 10,337 lb. (4,698 kg)
Max. weight: 10,360 lb. (4,699 kg)

Engine: 1 Wright R-1820-32
Horsepower: 1,000

Range: 1,225 miles (1,970 km)
Cruise speed: 148 mph (238 km/h) (128 kt)
Max speed: 256 mph (412 km/h) (222 kt)
Climb rate: 1.080 ft/min. (329 m/min.)
Ceiling: 27,260 ft (8,319 m)

Historical Background:
The SBDs first real test came on 7 May 1942, when the US aircraft carriers USS
Lexington and USS Yorktown faced three Japanese carriers in the Battle of the Coral
Sea. During the two day battle, which was the first naval battle in which victory was
decided by aircraft alone, Dauntless dive-bombers flew alongside other US aircraft. Each
side lost one carrier (the Japanese carrier Shoho being sunk by Dauntless and
Devastator bombers) and the U.S. lost USS Lexington but the U.S. had stopped the
Japanese ships from supporting an invasion of Port Moresby, New Guinea, and the
proposed air assault on Australia.

From mid -1940 until November 1943 the Douglas Dauntless, nicknamed the “Barge”,
“Clunk” and best of all “Slow But Deadly”, was the standard U.S. Navy carrier dive-
bomber. It was gradually phased out by the Curtiss Helldiver with the SBDs last major
carrier action coming on June 20, 1944 against the Japanese Mobile Fleet during the
“Battle of the Philippine Sea”.

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