Variants of the TBD-1, including the prototype and above, first paper proposal sketch Design of the Devastator With 130 built versus 9,900 Avengers, the Devastator seems to be a footnote of history, but it was the frontline US Navy dedicated torpedo bomber until the fateful battle of Midway, at mid-point during the war.
Later during the war, the US Navy would operate newly-built USS Currituck, Pine Island and Norton Sound, USS Tangier and Timbalier. It was judged interesting to procure the navy a catapulted torpedo bomber, to the Currituck class still in service or the USS Curtiss. With the two retained by Douglas, this left 126 delivered to VT-2 to VT-8, but also VB-4 VS-42, VS-71, VS-72, VU-3 and the US Marine Corps.ĭouglas TBD-1A: It was equipped with floats for testing, as for the Vindicator and Dauntless later.
Dauntless dive bomber armament full#
The USN ordered a full production run indeed, called the TBD-1, for delivery and service in late 1937, with a 850 hp engine.ĭeliveries went on from 1937 to 1939, 128 in all, 130 with the XTBD-1 prototype and a single experimental TBD-1A. Thes extended trials went on until 1937, and later the first two production aircraft delivered by Douglas, were by it, exclusively for testing. Last step, for pre-production test, the XTBD was provisionally transferred to one of Lexington’s TB group, for carrier certification. Next, the prototype underwent torpedo drop tests which were also successful. But other than that, the prototype passed its acceptance trials with ease. Tests pilots indeed insisted on improving visibility and the engine needed to be improved, while it was recommended a revised engine cowling. Some points were noted for correction: The flat canopy seemed to not procure enough visibility and was to be replaced in production by a higher domed canopy, complete with a rollover bar. The XTBD passed the Navy examination from 24 April to 24 November 1935 at NAS (Naval Air Station) Anacostia and Norfolk bases. First with a semi-retractable landing gear First with hydraulically powered folding wings. First with a completely enclosed cockpit Quite quickly its performances were judged very satisfactory with 332 kph in straight line at 2,000 m, about 350 in a dive, and it started to mark this year by its many innovations as well: The XTBD Devastator first flew on 15 April 1935. Also reviewed in a first turn were the Great Lakes XB2G and XTBG, the Grumman XSBF, Hall XPTBH and Vought XSB3U, which were not selected for further prototypes pre-production. It was declared a co-winner with the Vought Devastator, and initially ordered on 30 June 1934. Answering the call were companies such as Vought with its XSB2U Vindicator, Northrop with its BT-1, Brewster with its SBA and Douglas, with its XTBD-1. In 1933, a US Navy competition for new bombers based on aircraft carriers was initiated. Its name was launched in late 1941 for easier identification, “Devastator” stuck however its popular nickname soon became “torpecker”, most commonly used by sailors and pilots. The Devastator went on to serve in second line duties for the remainder of the war, and started to be replaced by its more famous successor, the Grumman TBF Avenger in 1942. Vastly outclassed for speed and agility while facing the Mitsubishi Zero, remaining TBDs were simply wiped out with little torpedo hits to their credits.īut like the Vindicator, simply outclassed, much of this underserved reputation for abysmal performances had been attributed to the grave defaults of the US Mark 13 torpedo after the war. The pace of aircraft development however caught up, and in June 1942 at Midway, the TBD reputation was destroyed while another Douglas, the Dauntless, won the day, in part because of how the events unfolded. Ordered in 1934, it entered service in 1937 and at the time, it was not only the most advanced USN aircraft, but possibly the most serious contender for the title of “world’s best carrier-borne TB”. USN Dive Bomber (1935-42) Best of its day, less in 1942įirst line USN torpedo bomber in 1941-42, the Douglas TBD was caught before its replacement.
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