Diecast Aircraft Information

MetalWings Diecast Aircraft Reference by Dauntless Aviation

Hobby Master 1/32 PREMIUM COLLECTION Air Power Series
HA0201
Douglas SBD 2, 2-B-2 VB-2
USS Lexington, CV-2, early 941

Premium Collection
1/32 Scale airplanes
Limited Edition only 900
world-wide
Features
Movable rear gun
Working dive brakes, rudder &
ailerons
Engine cowling can be removed
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)

The US Military initially ordered 144 Douglas Dauntless SBD-1s with only 57 actually
SBD-2. The remaining 87 aircraft from the initial contract were completed but were
configured as SBD-2s.
Designed as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, various versions of the
Dauntless served during the war 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. Production of the Dauntless ended in July 1944, by which time a total of
5,936 had been built in all versions.

SBD-2 BuNo. 2106 was initially assigned to VB-2 (Bombing Squadron Two) aboard the
USS Lexington and wore the side code 2-B-2. 2106 arrived in late December 1940 or
early January 1941 and became the favorite aircraft for CAPT Mark T. Whittier USN. On
December 5, 1941 the aircraft was left in Hawaii for repairs and survived the Japanese
attack on the 7th. March 10,1942 Lt. (JG) Whittier and radioman-gunner Stanley flew
2106 on a raid at Lae-Salamaua New Guinea and were awarded the Navy Cross for their
actions.
Once again luck would be with 2106 as it and 4 other SBDs from USS Lexington were left
at Pearl Harbor in April 1942 for re-assignment. The USS Lexington was lost at the Battle
of the Coral Sea. The plane was transported to Midway and assigned to VMSB-241
(USMC Scout Bombing Squadron Two Forty One). On June 4, 1942, repainted and
wearing “White 6” the aircraft was manned by 1st Lt. Iverson Jr. and radioman-gunner
PFC Reid. They were one of many SBDs to participate in the decisive Battle of Midway
and one of the few Dauntless to survive the attack on the Japanese carrier Hiryu. Half of
the VMSB-241 Dauntless’ were lost during this attack and both Iverson and Reid were
wounded. It is estimated that there were between 210 and 260 holes in their airframe but
some how managed to crash land on Midway and survive. Iverson was awarded the Navy
Cross and Reid the DFC for their heroism during the mission.
With so much damage 2106 was sent for a complete overhaul and reassigned to the
Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU) at NAS Glenview, Illinois. On June 11, 1943
during a routine carrier qualification flight the aircraft stalled and plunged into Lake
Michigan. For 50 years 2106 rested 170 feet down in cold freshwater until October 1993
when it was discovered and recovered in January 1994. After conducting historical
document research by the teams at the National Museum Of Naval Aviation, the Naval
Historical Center, and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology they realized that not only did
they have a rare aircraft type but also it was one of only 4 to be present at the attack on
Pearl Harbor. Most importantly, BuNo. 2106 is the only surviving naval aircraft to have
played a significant role at the Battle of Midway. This survivor of one of the most
important turning points in the history of the US Navy and indeed the history of the United
States can be seen at the National Museum of Naval Aviation located 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)

THESE PICTURES ARE PRE-PRODUCTION PICTURES TAKEN EARLY IN
THE MODEL'S DEVELOPMENT.

This new site is being updated regularly and it will be much improved before too long. Please be patient, give it time, and check back regularly. Opportunities for community collaboration are in the works for a little further down the road.

This is not a retail site. You cannot buy models here.

Thanks to Dauntless Aviation for providing web hosting and other support for this site. Real or sim pilot? Check out their stuff!

This is not an official site of any manufacturer or retailer. Information provided here may be incomplete or in error. Use at your own risk.

This is not an "advice" site. Please do not contact us asking about these models. Please contact a manufacturer or retailer with your questions or comments.

Please update your links!

Update HomePage links from the HMC website to either www.MetalWings.com or, preferably, www.dauntless-soft.com/MetalWings.
Update your page links to this page from HMCwebsite/HA0201.html to http://www.dauntless-soft.com/MetalWings/HA0201.asp

This site will be modified over time. We are well aware of its many issues, including missing images and bad formatting.