Hobby Master Archive

Hobby Master 1/32 PREMIUM COLLECTION Air Power Series HA0209 Douglas SBD-2 “Battle of Midway” BuNo 2106, VMSB-241, 4 June 1942

Premium Collection 1/32 Scale airplanes Limited Edition world-wide Features Movable rear gun Working dive brakes, rudder & ailerons Engine cowling can be removed Optional transparent engine cowling included Rotating metal propeller Sliding canopy Retractable undercarriage Rolling wheels Movable centerline bomb rack Bombs under each wing Realistic looking crew L - 12.4 in (315mm) W - 15.75 in (400mm) H - 4.8 in (122mm) Weight - 1.98 lb (900g)

Designed as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, various versions of the Dauntless served during WWII with the US Marine Corps, Army and Navy. The Douglas Dauntless was the workhorse of the US Navy in the Pacific. The Dauntless dive- bomber was the only plane to fight in every major Pacific engagement and because of the battles and the courage of the men that flew them, this plane became one of the most successful designs of WWII with 5,936 having been built in all versions.

Originally Douglas SBD-2 BuNo 2106 belonged to VB-2 aboard USS Lexington. It survived the Pearl Harbor attack and in April 1942 was reassigned to VMSB-241. On June 4, 1942 VMSB-241 launched sixteen SBDs to attack Japanese carriers. Only eight SBDs returned and 2106, riddled with 219 bullet holes was one of them. The aircraft was repaired and sent to a training unit in Illinois. On June 11, 1943 the aircraft was ditched into Lake Michigan, in 1994 salvaged, restored and on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.

Specifications for Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless Crew: 2 X a pilot and a radioman-gunner SDB-2 had increased fuel capacity but reduced again once self-sealing fuel tanks were available, along with different armament from the SBD-1 2 forward firing 0.50 caliber machine guns. Tail gunner equipped with twin 0.30 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.

Number of SBD-2s produced: 87 Dimensions Length: 32’ 1" (9.7m) Height: 13’ 7" (4.1m) Wingspan: 41’ 6" (12.6m) Wing area: 325 sq. ft (30.0 sq. m)

Weights Empty weight: 5,652 lb. (2,564 kg) Gross weight: 10,337 lb. (4,698 kg) Maximum weight: 10,360 lb. (4,699 kg)

Engine: 1 X Wright R-1820-32 Horsepower: 1,000 Performance 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)