Warbird Information Exchange

The 1,000-hp Douglas Dauntless SBD-1 through -4 all carried a 1,200-pound bomb loads. Then with the SBD-5, the airplane got just 200 more hp, largely to compensate for increasing empty weight as more equipment was added. Yet the bomb load nearly doubled, to (as I remember) 2,350 pounds, according to some sources. How is this possible?

According to "McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920: Volume I" by Rene J Francillon, page 258, the added power of the Wright R-1820-60 (1,200 hp) in the SBD-5, "enabled the offensive load to be increased to a maximum of 2,250 lb - one 1,600 lb bomb under the fuselage and two 325 lb bombs under the wings." I would think that this may be influenced by range and fuel load. For longer range scouting missions, I imagine the bomb load would be less, as in previous models. The same bomb loads for the SBD-5 are given in "United States Navy Aircraft since 1911" by Gordon Swanborough and Peter M Bowers. I don't know if the larger carriers being introduced in 1943 and later may have anything to do with the added weights. Just FYI.

Randy

I just heard from Barrett Tillman, probably the top SBD authority in the country. He says the 2,250-pound figure is totally bogus, despite the fact that it's all over the Internet. Tillman restored to flight an A-26 as an SBD-5 and said that it could carry a half-tonner on the centerline, and that the 100-pound wing pylons were long gone, so the actual bomb load was 1,000 pounds.

I have never heard of any SBD carrying 1,600-pound centerline bomb or 325-pound wing bombs.

I am no authority on this, but have heard that the aircaft near the front of those taking off would have a 500 pound bomb, while those that had more distance to accelerate would have 1000 pounders.

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Kevin McCartney

I've read much the same thing.

Barrett is an old friend and I would not doubt his word. However, the pdf document available on the link below has loading sheets for the SBD-5 & 6 that include a single 1,600 lb bomb and other loads. Just FYI. Randy

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/naval-aircraft/scout-dive-bomber-aircraft/sbd-5-dauntless-wwii.html

Did the US even make a 1600lb bomb during the war?

Mac

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WWII Naval Aviation Research - Pacific
https://www.ww2nar-pac.com/

The AN-MK-1, the Mk.1 (Navy) and the Mk.1-Mod.1 (Navy) were all 1600 lb Armor Piercing bombs, and available according to TM9-1980, Bombs for Aircraft, dated November of 1944.

I think a lot of the confusion might arise because various documents have listed max loads for various weapons stations--centerline and wing--and some writers and historians have simply added these numbers together and declared that as an SBD-5's max load, while the truth is that an SBD could never have carried them all at the same time. 1,600 pounds centerline plus two 325 wing bombs indeed totals 2,250 pounds, but that doesn't mean an SBD could have lifted 2,250 pounds.

To quote Ed McMahon, "I didn't know that".

Mac

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WWII Naval Aviation Research - Pacific
https://www.ww2nar-pac.com/

I couldn’t find a useful bomb loading chart showing maximum allowable total weight. However, these pages from the SBD-6 Maintenance Manual give some information that may be of use in this discussion.

926FDAB2-6038-40D1-9F0A-4C21E8E8428D by tanker622001, on Flickr

4E31C049-32C9-4727-96B2-E5DB4245FFAB by tanker622001, on Flickr

DE3DED30-D965-4766-8AA5-5B0675695AB3 by
tanker622001, on Flickr

These pages are from the SBD-6 Flight Manual and give maximum weights for the airplane. I don’t seem to have a manual for the SBD-5.

3267AD9A-5406-4E11-B13C-A9BD886519B4 by tanker622001, on Flickr

EC201995-3842-4249-A85D-4E10F1E076EE by tanker622001, on Flickr

Of course, a deck launch off a carrier going 20kts into into a 20kt wind under test condition could provide different results than say, a modern rebuild at the local airport.

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JB

Thanks to all for posting lots of useful info. You'll see the results in the next issue of Aviation History.

To make an SBD out of an A-26... man, that's talent!

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Defending Stearmans on WIX since Jeff started badmouthing them back in 2005.

Sorry, I meant A-24.