Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless - Slow but Deadly #5 (Definitive Variant)

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SBD-5 Dauntless

   Hello everybody. I’d like to suggest the Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless for War Thunder. The SBD-5 was the definitive and the most produced variant, featuring a new engine and some changes. This model deserves a place in the game, considering its noteworthy service during the war.

Key Characteristics

  • Naval dive bomber
  • Most produced SBD variant (over 3,000)
  • New 1,200-hp Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone engine
  • Modern reflector sight instead of old telescopic sight
  • New air-to-ground weaponry
History

Design and Development

The US Navy had realized the dive bombers were more than important in contributing to the war effort over the Pacific Theater of Operations and Atlantic Theater of Operations, so it had continued high demand for more dive bombers. The designers of Douglas developed a new variant that standardized the Dauntless, making it more efficient for the production war effort to increase its output. That variant would become SBD-5. It incorporated the following changes in design: the eliminated engine air intake from the upper cowling, new Yagi array antennas under the outboard wing wings alongside Air to Surface Vessel radar, new modern reflector sight, wet wing pylons, and finally a larger 1,200-hp Wright R-1820-60 engine. The new wing pylons allowed it to carry an external tank with a capacity of 58 US gallons on each wing instead of a bomb or depth charge.

The new powerplant became available in 1943 and provided an increase in the payload, allowing the SBD-5 to carry one 1,600 lb bomb under the fuselage and two 325 lb bombs under the wings. The additional power didn’t result in an increase in performance due to an increase in empty weight. This means the range was decreased, but this was compensated with external drop tanks. Nonetheless, the flight performance of the SBD-5 showed it was slightly faster and had a better rate of climb than its predecessors. Its service ceiling was also slightly increased by a thousand feet higher.

US Military Service

SBD-5s were accepted and ordered, and at the same time, the introduction of the flawed SB2C was further delayed. The production output had increased to 350 SBD-5s or more a month in the middle of 1943. Most of the SBD-5s were produced in the Douglas plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The US Navy obtained new aircraft carriers in the middle of 1943 and conducted new offensive operations against the Japanese forces in the South Pacific. The new Dauntlesses were filling on these carriers and became the forefront. Eventually, the SBDs began to be gradually replaced in November 1943 by new and problematic SB2C Helldivers. The Battle of the Philippine Sea would be the last major engagement of the SBDs in US Navy service. Most SBDs were transferred to the US Marine Corps and put in island combat operations for another year. The SBD-5 and SBD-6 served with six different Marine and US Navy squadrons for the remainder of the war.

Douglas produced a total of 2,965 SBDs for the US Navy, with hundreds more for the US Army and US Marine Corps.

Specifications

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless

General Characteristics

  • Crew: 2 (Pilot and Gunner)
  • Length: 33 ft 0.125 in (10 m)
  • Height: 13 ft 11 in (4.24 m)
  • Span: 41 ft 6.3125 in (12.65 m)
  • Wing Area: 325 sq ft (30 sq m)
  • Propeller Type: 3-bladed Hamilton constant-speed variable propeller
  • Propeller Diameter: 10 ft 10 in (3.3 m)
  • Powerplant: Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone 9-cylinder radial engine
    → 1,200 hp (883 kW)
  • Internal Fuel: 254 US gal. (961.5 L)
  • Oil Tankage: 16.5 US gal. (62.5 L)
  • Empty Weight: 6,533 lb (2,963 kg)
  • Gross Weight: 10,403 lb (4,719 kg)

Engine ratings

  • Takeoff:

    → 1,200 BHP @ 2,500 RPM @ S.L.

  • Normal:

    → 1,000 BHP @ 2,300 RPM @ S.L. - 5,800 ft

    → 900 BHP @ 2,300 RPM @ 9,300 - 15,700 ft

  • Military:

    → 1,200 BHP @ 2,500 RPM @ S.L. - 1,900 ft

    → 1,000 BHP @ 2,500 RPM @ 8,100 - 13,800 ft

General Performance w/ one 1,000-lb bomb

  • Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.12 lb/hp (0.20 kW/kg)
  • Sea Level Speed: 221 mph (355 km/h)
  • Critical Altitude Speed: 244 mph @ 15,700 ft (393 km/h @ 4,785 m)
  • Stall Speed:
    • Gross Weight: 79.8 mph (128 km/h)
    • Empty Fuel: 73.6 mph (118 km/h)
  • Wing Loading: 32.1 lb/sq ft (151.8 kg/sq m)
  • Takeoff Distance - Calm: 1,225 ft (373 m)
  • Rate of Climb: 1,280 fpm (6.5 m/s)
  • Time to Altitude
    • 8.8 minutes to 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
    • 23.3 minutes to 20,000 ft (6,096 m)
  • Service Ceiling: 24,100 ft (7,345 m)
  • Max. Range: 1,115 miles @ 139 mph (1,794 km @ 224 km/h)

Armament

  • Guns:

    • 2 x .50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (360 rounds)
    • 2 x .30-cal. M1919 Browning machine guns in a turret (2,000 rounds)
    • 2 x Douglas DGP-1 Twin .50-cal. Gun Packages (1,360 rounds)

  • Bombs:

    • 1 x 1,600-lb armor-piercing bomb (fuselage)
    • 1 x 1,000-lb bomb (fuselage)
    • 1 x 500-lb bomb (fuselage)
    • 1 x 650-lb depth bomb (fuselage)
    • 1 x 325-lb depth bomb (fuselage)
    • 2 x 325-lb depth bombs (wings)
    • 2 x 100-lb bombs (wings)

  • Rockets:

    • 8 x 5-inch FFARs

  • Drop Tanks:
    • 2 x 58-gal. drop tanks
Supplemental Data

Diagrams

1170×460 109 KB

Cockpit

SBD Livery Examples - Illustration

 

Tricolor Scheme - Semi Gloss Sea Blue, Intermediate Blue and Insignia White

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1110×305 78.8 KB

 

Two-Tone Scheme - Dark Gull Gray and Insignia White

1140×315 82.2 KB

 

Others

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1145×320 80.2 KB

 

Images

Conclusion | Why it should be in the game

   I made this suggestion because I believe the SBD-5 Dauntless is a long-overdue addition to the game. This model deserves its place in War Thunder as it is the most produced Dauntless variant with a powerful engine, improved performance, and new ground weaponry. Another reason for this suggestion is to expand more WW2 aircraft content in the game, especially for the US Naval aircraft branch in the tech tree. This SBD-5 would make a welcoming addition to the Dauntless family for the dedicated completionists; it could be foldered with the SBD-3.

See Also

Sources

Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃

6 Likes
2

imagine an SBD folder that has all 6 variants… I love it (this is not ironic as I’m a big fan of the sbd) :)

3

Including the Army’s A-24 variants?

4

would be cool

5

but what range and BR would it have?

6

Most likely at 2.3 BR and less likely at 2.7 BR. The SBD-5 has an extra thrust that provides an increase in top speed and maneuverability as well as access to FFARs, so these may justify that BR.

1 Like
7

Yes, I would also give it a BR of 2.3, in my country the A-24B Banshee version was used, which is the army equivalent, that’s why I had the doubt.

image

2 Likes
8

Updated SBD-5 Specifications with Engine Ratings; added Supplemental Data and Diagrams sections.

9

A +1 from me, would be nice to see grouped with the SBD-3 already in game

1 Like