Diecast Aircraft Information

MetalWings Diecast Aircraft Reference by Dauntless Aviation

Hobby Master 1/32 PREMIUM COLLECTION Air Power Series
HA0202
Douglas SBD 5, VSMB-231, "Ace of Spades"
Major Glidden, Marshall Islands, 1944
LIMITED EDITION ONLY 750 PIECES

THESE PICTURES ARE PRE-PRODUCTION PICTURES

Premium Collection
1/32 Scale airplanes
Limited Edition only 750
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 SBD was considered out-dated and the US had planned to replace the Dauntless
but the attack on Pearl Harbor changed all that. By the end of WWII the SBD had
become one of the most famous dive-bombers ever built. Even though the SB2C
Helldiver was slowly replacing the Dauntless it continued to play a significant role in the
major battles of the Pacific. The final large action for the SBD was the Battle of the
Philippine Sea in 1944. By the end of production 5, 936 Dauntless had been
manufactured.

VMSB-231 nicknamed the “Ace of Spades” had the oldest insignia in the Marine Corps
dating back to WWI. Based in the Marshall Islands from 1944 – 45 the squadron
operated from Majuro Atoll. Their mission was to bomb the smaller islands in the chain
that had initially been by-passed. Maj. Elmer Glidden and M/Sgt James Boyle flew SBD-
5 “White 1”. Major Glidden was the services leading dive-bomber pilot having flown SBD’
s at Midway and Guadalcanal. On Majuro he flew another 77 combat dives for a war
total of 104.

Specifications Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless

Wing Span: 41' 6"
Length: 33' 1"
Height: 13' 7"

Power Plant: 1 X Wright R-1820-60
Horsepower: 1,200
Fuel Capacity: 310 gallons
Max Speed: 255 mph

Gross Weight: 10,700 lbs

Armament: 2 x .50 caliber forward-firing machine guns, 2 x 0.3 in (7.62 mm) flexible-
mounted machine guns, 2,250 lb (1,020 kg) of bombs.

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