Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless is a WW II American Navy dive bomber, built by Douglas Aircraft Company 1940-1944. Demo flight by Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, CA. Jan. 2025.
What a beautiful airplane and what a beautifully maintained specimen of that airplane! And that baby could out-turn the Zero. A good book featuring the Dauntless is: Jack N. Kleiss, Never Call Me a Hero: A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers the Battle of Midway (2017). The author “Dusty” Kleiss was the Dauntless pilot who scored three hits - two carriers and a heavy cruiser - at the Battle of Midway. Kleiss was a total hero. Sadly, he passed away the year before his book was published.
To think that the legendary Dauntless was derived from a failed Northrop design and was even preferred to the more advanced SB2C that was meant to replace it. Douglas sure could build 'em.
My Grandfather was an AD-1 in the Navy during WWII. He worked on these as well as other aircraft at North Island.
One of the significant heroes of the Battle of Midway. God Bless America.
What a beautiful airplane and what a beautifully maintained specimen of that airplane! And that baby could out-turn the Zero.
A good book featuring the Dauntless is: Jack N. Kleiss, Never Call Me a Hero: A Legendary American Dive-Bomber Pilot Remembers the Battle of Midway (2017). The author “Dusty” Kleiss was the Dauntless pilot who scored three hits - two carriers and a heavy cruiser - at the Battle of Midway. Kleiss was a total hero. Sadly, he passed away the year before his book was published.
Das ist der richtige Sound! Da kommt Freude auf!
Love that sound!
Dauntless! 👍
To think that the legendary Dauntless was derived from a failed Northrop design and was even preferred to the more advanced SB2C that was meant to replace it. Douglas sure could build 'em.
Magnificent! How many of these are still flying?
Would you do the Yokosuka D4Y3 Judy dive Bomber demonstration.
Slow but deadly !
My Moms brother was lost in one over Guadalcanal.
Wow. The sbd's max speed is the stall speed of an F-16