Douglas SBD Dauntless

The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main carrier-based scout/dive bomber from mid-1940 through mid-1944. The SBD was also flown by the United States Marine Corps, both from land air bases and aircraft carriers. The SBD is best remembered as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The type earned its nickname "Slow But Deadly" (from its SBD initials) during this period. Even though the SBD was ostensibly replaced by the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in 1944, experience showed the earlier plane performed better, and both models fought side-by-side until the end of the war.

During its combat service, the SBD proved to be an effective naval scout plane and dive bomber. It possessed long range, good handling characteristics, maneuverability, potent bomb load, and great diving characteristics from the perforated dive brakes. A land-based variant of the SBD – omitting the arrestor hook — was purpose-built for the U.S. Army Air Forces, as the A-24 Banshee. Due to lack of specialized training, though, the Army's experience was not as successful, and by the middle of 1943, the A-24 was considered by pilots to be too vulnerable for service, owing to its armament and slow speed, and was relegated to noncombat roles.