Douglas TBD Devastator
The prototype of the Devastator torpedo bomber flew for the first time on 15 April 1935. It was the first monoplane selected for aircraft-carrier operations, the first of 129 ordered by the US Navy entering service in 1937.
For the first time in a Navy bomber rhe TBD featured an enclosed cockpit and all-metal construction.
Armed with only one forward-firing and one rear-mounted machine-gun (plus a 533mm torpedo or 450kg bomb), it was vulnerable to enemy attack and a lack of self-sealing fuel tanks contributed to the Devastator's failure in combat. Heavy losses were suffered in action against the Japanese during the early part of World War II, especially during the Battle of the Coral Sea when the type operated from USS Lexington and Yorktown. The Battle of Midway, fought between 4 and 7 June 1942, was the Devastator's last major action: it was relegated to non-combat duties after suffering heavy losses during the battle.
Engine: 1 x 900hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-64 Twin Wasp
Wingspan: 15.24 m / 50 ft 0 in
Length: 10.67 m / 35 ft 0 in
Height: 4.60 m / 15 ft 1 in
Wing area: 421.949 sqft / 39.2 sq.m
Max take-Off Weight: 4624 kg / 10194 lb
Weight empty: 6182.8 lb / 2804.0 kg
Wing loading: 24.19 lb/sq.ft / 118.0 kg/sq.m
Max. Speed: 179 kts / 332 km/h / 206 mph
Cruising speed: 111 kts / 206 km/h
Range (max. weight): 361 nm / 669 km
Service ceiling: 19701 ft / 6005 m
Armament: 2xMG 0.3cal (7,62mm), Torp/Bomb 454kg