World War II: Douglas SBD Dauntless

The US Navy's principal dive bomber for much of World War II, the Douglas SBD Dauntless (right) was designed by Ed Heinemann. Tracing its roots to the Northrop BT-1, the Dauntless was initially powered by a 1,000 horsepower Wright Cyclone engine and could carry 2,250 pounds of bombs. Entering service in 1940, it was updated several times until it reached the definitive SBD-5 variant. Flying from US carriers, the Dauntless played a key role in the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, as well as saw significant action off Guadalcanal and in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Heavily armed for a bomber, the Dauntless proved surprisingly able when it came to dealing with Japanese fighters. In late 1943, the Dauntless began to be replaced by the SB2C Helldiver. As the Helldiver was plagued by electrical and manufacturing problems, many pilots were unhappy to switch from their "Slow but Deadly" Dauntlesses to the "Son of a Bitch 2nd Class." During the war, the SBD Dauntless sunk more tons of enemy shipping than any other Allied aircraft.

Photograph Courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center