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The TBY-2 Sea Wolf was a WWII torpedo bomber, designed by Vought and built by Consolidated. Only 181 -2 variant were built due to the mass cancellation of orders for other variants as a result of the end of WWII.
Background & Design:
The US Navy awarded a contract to Vought for the development of the “XTBU-1” prototype in April 1940. This was done in response to a requirement for a torpedo bomber. The Sea Wolf was a competitor to Grumman’s TBF Avenger as well as a potential replacement of the outdated Douglas TBD Devestator. On 22 December 1941, just two weeks after Pearl Harbour was attacked, the XTBU-1 prototype flew its maiden flight and was designated the ‘Sea Wolf’. The performance of the prototype on its first flight was seen as more enhanced than the desired competitor, the TBF Avenger. Evaluations took place a year later in March. Soon, the US Navy ordered 1,100 TBY-1 aircraft in response to the war with Japan. But Vought, at the same time, was focused on F4U productions that there was no accomodation for the TBY to be produced. It was then agreed that Consolidated will take over the Sea Wolf production. The production of the TBY faced some set backs, which included accidents that took place during testing of the prototype involving the tail. The original tail was ripped out during arrested landing trials and the newly installed tail was destroyed by the propellers of a training aircraft. Both losses involved heavy repairs. Consolidated re-building a truck plant in Allenstown, Pennsylvania also took time due to employee training and the length of time it took to convert the plant. Finally, the new TBY production plant was completed in late 1943. During the time the production plant was under construction, the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-22 radial engine was confirmed to be the work horse of the newly designated “TBY-2”. Other changes included a single central bomb bay door and additional armour around the cockpit. Radar was also installed with the radome situated under right wing.
Operations:
The TBY-2 first flew on 20th August 1944. But unfortunately, due to delays in production and more successful aircraft (TBF Avenger), the US Navy reduced the order to 502 aircraft. By November 1944, the first Sea Wolf was delivered to the Navy but production was still slow. The orders were reduced again to 250 aircraft in July 1945, due to the war with Germany coming to an end. Eventually, the order for the TBY-2 was completely cancelled in September, when Japan surrended to US forces. Only 181 aircraft were produced by the time WWII ended and were relegated as training/reserve aircraft until their retirement and scrapping in 1947. Two accidents took place in July 1945; a TBY-2 suffered a collapsed landing gear, which was flying from Patuxent River Naval Air Station and another aircraft was damaged beyond repair when it crashed, overshooting the runway at Convair field. Two more accidents happened the year after, when one unit was involved in a landing incident at Norfolk NAS in January and another in a ground looping fault at Anacostia NAS in April.
Specifications:
Crew: 3
Length: 39 ft 2 in (11.94 m)
Wingspan: 56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
Height: 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Wing area: 440 sq ft (41 m²)
Empty weight: 11,636 lb (5,278 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 18,940 lb (8,591 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-22 Double Wasp 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,100 hp (1,600 kW)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 312 mph (502 km/h, 271 kn) at 17,700 ft (5,395 m)
Cruise speed: 156 mph (251 km/h, 136 kn)
Combat range: 1,025 mi (1,650 km, 891 nmi) with one torpedo
Service ceiling: 29,400 ft (9,000 m)
Rate of climb: 1,770 ft/min (9.0 m/s)
Armament
Guns:
1 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun in cowling
2 × .50 in machine gun in the wings
1 × .50 in machine gun in dorsal turret
1 × .30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine gun in ventral mount
Bombs:
Up to 2,000 lb (910 kg) of bombs or one torpedo
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