My Father started as a Radioman/Gunner on an SBD Dauntless then went to flight training school in California. He flew PIC in several sorties which included Truk, Coral Sea, Tarawa, and Midway. His home carrier was CV-12, the USS Hornet II. I have never met a braver man than he.
@SgtGrant23::This aircraft is flown about 6 times a year, sometimes more. It recently received an overhauled Wright R-1820 engine; all installation work by volunteers at the Planes of Fame Museum (NOT a simple task!).You can sponsor a flight in this aircraft if you are a member, go along for the ride, open the canopy, turn your seat around backwards and manipulate the fully functional, retractable machine gun mount (complete with demilled Browning machine gun). This this is what I call fun!
@octane130 I wish i could i volunteer at a flight museum here In North Texas Ive flown in 8 different war-birds but when i get the money who knows thanks for the infromation
@jayc981 The stuka is a great plane the sound of the dive is amazeing but I dont understand why they didnt want to put retracteble landing gear instead of the normal gear
@jayc981 I think that the JU-87 was an earlier generation of dive bomber than the SBD. It was probably more of a contemporary with the Vought SBU2. The method of bomb release and auto pull-out in the JU-87 "Stutzflugzeug" was superior. U.S. Dive Bombers without fighter cover experienced the same high loss rates at the JU-87's did without fighter cover."Swede" Vejtasa's victories in a SBD over three Zeros at Coral Sea was due to his bravery and superior skill.
@jayc981 The Stuka is an amazing bird as well. It is easily one of my favorite dive bombers of the era, if not one of my favorite WWII birds. You know when a Stuka is coming. That non-retractable gear makes the Stuka stand out amongst other planes of the era. And that blistering siren scares everyone on the ground:)
I'm fairly sure this particular Dauntless served with the RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force) in WW2 as NZ5062 and was then returned to the US Marine Corps in 1944. Be nice to see her in RNZAF colours one day.
Yes, this aircraft was transferred to the RNZAF and ferried to Bougainville in March 1944. Named "Francois" by the NZ crew, it flew 30 combat missions with the RNZAF No. 25 Squadron before being transferred to the US Marine Corps at Russell, NZ in May 1944. During the aircraft's restoration in the USA in the mid-1980s, spent cartridge casings from the rear defensive machine gun were found under the floorboards of the cockpit which were left over from this aircraft's combat days with the RNZAF !
Great, I was just reading up on our history and the Dauntless. Turns out one other may have survived until the 1950s or '60s as an instructional airframe!!!!!! Long gone now though.
Any chance we could have NZ5062 back? lol. ;-) Just kidding we aren't the US Navy ha ha.
Thats fascinating about the spent cartridges. I was on the restoration crew for the RNZAF Museums TBF-1 Avenger. When we paintstripped 40 years of paint off (8 layers!) we found signatures near the tail from the factory!!!
Did SBD stand for "slow but deadly"? Cruising speed was 150 mph, right? Just curious and no offense - I love this plane. It eventually was superseded by the Hell Diver, right?(another awesome dive bomber in the Pacific)
in WW2 my grandfather managed to shoot down some dauntlesses, he actually killed the tail gunner on one of them, after the battle of the carrier he made a prayer for the gunner soul.
He was a man of compassion, even though he was a pilot in combat. He had to do his duty as he felt the enemy pilot had to do his duty , but it still bothered him at the fact he had to take the lives of people in war.
The SBD Dauntlesses during the Battle of Midway would have never got near any of the Jap carriers if it had'nt been for the US Devastator torpedo bombers bringing the Japanese fighter cover down to sea level. The US SBDs were then able to attack the Japanese carriers unharrassed, with the Japanese fighters too low an altitude to intercept them. Even though the Devastators never scored a single hit and were blown out of the sky, the true heroes of Midway will always be those Devastator pilots
This plane is as important as any other in the history of aviation, as much as the Spitfire, Mustang, B-29. It changed the outcome in a specific theatre of war. There aren't that many people who realise the significance this machine had on the outcome of World War 2. It won the Battle of Midway on it's own and turned the war in the Pacific.
If any of you don't know the significance of the dauntless divebomber, read about the battle of Midway. It just makes me nervous thinking again about it. Dozens and dozens of US torpedo bombers dropped duds and were shot down by FOUR Japanese carriers. Hours later the dauntless crowd rocketed down from heaven and smoked all four japanese carriers. Their bombs were fast, solid and god-sent methinks. Happily, some of our pilots had seen pearl harbor in flames 7 mos. earlier. Japan's back broke.
and the Japanese were caught flat footed at the moment of the attack. There was munitions and fuel bowsers on the flight decks along with the fully fueled aircraft. Only took a few hits to turn all that into an inferno.
@FrodoFriend They smoked 3. Yamaguchi, in Hiryu, got away and launched a strike which crippled USS Yorktown, before getting clobbered by an American follow-on strike.
This machine was one of 18 SBD-5s loaned to the RNZAF's 25 Squadron in February 1944. After 8 weeks of operations from Piva airstrip, against Japanese positions on Bougainville and New Britain, the surviving 'planes were handed back to the Americans on 20 May in "as new" condition.
The "Planes of Fame" machine was flown by the RNZAF as NZ5062 and piloted by F/S N L Kelly, the WOpAG was F/S B E Cullen. As a relative of a 25 Sqn pilot, I am very grateful that this 'plane is still flying!
I don't know what is "not-so-especially unexciting" about this. Anyone who doesn't get a thrill out of seeing an SBD still flying has definitely got a hole in their bucket. One little correction: Best did not attack both the Akagi and Hiryu in a single mission. He got the Akagi that morning, then returned to the Enterprise with the rest of his group. Hiryu wasn't spotted until much later that afternoon. Best went back up on a second mission for the strike on Hiryu.
Beutiful beutiful warbird my fav of all the WWII planes out there. Would love to own one and especially be in one dropping from 17000ft to 1000ft during a 70 degree dive bomb run
first of all if you knew soem hsitory you woudl know that the USMC was the first to do Dive bombing.
Second a man name Glenn Curtiss made the Curtiss Hawk Dive Bomber. which Ernst Udet got to test fly. who then had Germany buy 1 of the hawks an send it to Germany. thus givign birth to the Stuka.
not trying to be an ass but looking this up FOR YOU only took 2 mins.
The Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber Is Most Famous During The Battle Of Midway. While The Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero's Fighter Patrol's Were Dealing With The Douglas TBD Devestator Torpedo Bomber's. The SBD's Were Allowed to Attack And Sink the Japanese carriers IJN Akagi, IJN Hiryu, IJN Kaga, And IJN Soryu Unchallenged. It Was a Decisive American Victory Over The Japanese Navy
Great video! This plane belongs to Planes of Fame in Chino, CA. I had the pleasure of attending a seminar on dive bombing and flight demo of this beautiful bird about 3 weeks ago. This particular model saw action with the New Zealand air corps during the war. During it's restoration, about 35 pounds of ammunition links and casings were found under the floor of the rear gunners position. The old timers who spoke at the seminar had nothing but praise for the SBD and the punishment it could take.
Saw one at Lakelan, FL at Sun 'n' Fun and at Oshkosh, WI at Airventure. It mighty have been the same one cause from what I understand there is only ONE flying. I could be wrong though
this vid is totally awsome. though that patticular version is 99.9% accurate. it doesent feature the tail gun. but great eather way. wish it would have demestrated a dive.
Your comment is fully understandable, but the gunner's gun actually IS present on this aircraft, but it is stowed in the rear cockpit and you just can't see it! The lucky passenger on this flight received a briefing on how to open the various portions of the rear canopy, reverse the seat and raise the gun to firing position.The gun is mounted on a quite complicated mechanism which enables the gun to be retracted and the rear canopy to be fully closed when not in combat. Thanks for your comment!
Do you have any videos wherein you can hear all of the pumps and gadgets on the engine spool up before contact? I love those sounds. If not, then thanks anyway! I enjoy your videos tremendously!
Great Uncle was a pilot with the Grim Reapers. John Leppla, if you know anything of history regarding these planes and their historic missions, you'll know his name!
...in barely 5 minutes one afternoon in June of 1942 the supposedly obsolete Slow But Deadlies dropped near vertical out of the sky to destroy three Jap carriers...a little later they finished off the fourth and won one of the 10 most important battles of all time and sent Japan in a spiral that they never recovered from...my favorite!
Phenomenal video! The SBD Dauntless is one of my favorite planes of WWII. Thank you so much for making the video. I would have liked a little more footage of it in the air, but, nevertheless, I loved it. 5 stars and 2 thumbs, and it doesn't deserve anything less.
My Father started as a Radioman/Gunner on an SBD Dauntless then went to flight training school in California. He flew PIC in several sorties which included Truk, Coral Sea, Tarawa, and Midway. His home carrier was CV-12, the USS Hornet II. I have never met a braver man than he.
1955thekeeper 1 month ago
SBD Dauntless! Backbreaker of the IJN!
Warmaker01 5 months ago in playlist More videos from octane130
If i ever buy a plane, ill go straight to a manufacturer and get him to build a dauntless, dive flaps and all.
10995 6 months ago
@10995 In addition to a SB2C Helldiver and an SB2U Vindicator, America's Divebombers of WW2
10995 6 months ago
one of my favorite planes...wish I was there
shovelmom42 7 months ago
how often do they fly her?
SgtGrant23 7 months ago
@SgtGrant23::This aircraft is flown about 6 times a year, sometimes more. It recently received an overhauled Wright R-1820 engine; all installation work by volunteers at the Planes of Fame Museum (NOT a simple task!).You can sponsor a flight in this aircraft if you are a member, go along for the ride, open the canopy, turn your seat around backwards and manipulate the fully functional, retractable machine gun mount (complete with demilled Browning machine gun). This this is what I call fun!
octane130 7 months ago
@octane130 I wish i could i volunteer at a flight museum here In North Texas Ive flown in 8 different war-birds but when i get the money who knows thanks for the infromation
SgtGrant23 7 months ago
they should have made it dive
Brenzilla4698 11 months ago
would you look at that...
luuko656 1 year ago
This aircraft sank more enemy shipping than any other weapons system.
redbaroniii 1 year ago
The hero of Midway
RichardSwayne 1 year ago
The SBD is amazing, It is a real freight train
Koumrian 1 year ago
They were taxiing pretty fast
AirlinePilotZJ 1 year ago
never mind
Davis4037 1 year ago
why are the weels not retracting
Davis4037 1 year ago
A single bomb is all it takes to turn things around.
LYinKansas 1 year ago
awesome!
uzimodem 1 year ago
I usually clean a ad-5 skyraider or at-6s and t-28s and a fm-2 after they fly i would love to clean this bird
SgtGrant23 1 year ago
the famus dive bomber
pantelis180 1 year ago
so this is the dauntless.
im reading the book, the pacific & i didn't know what a dauntless was so i had to look it up XD
idk anything about military planes & stuff, im only 16 & im a girl, although my dad was in the airforce.
this video helped me a lot. so this was the plane they used in the battle of midway?
peachyyy93 1 year ago
Good Ol' Chino
neptunisregis11 1 year ago
who owns this sbd?
SgtGrant23 1 year ago
@peppy68 beercan: good idea :)
jayc981 2 years ago
even as a german i must admit this plane is great, what do u americans think about the Stuka?
jayc981 2 years ago
@jayc981 Stuka's are a well though of plane. I Give them an 9/10 On my scale.
wolfgunner4564 2 years ago
@jayc981 The stuka is a great plane the sound of the dive is amazeing but I dont understand why they didnt want to put retracteble landing gear instead of the normal gear
legojoe12345 2 years ago
Good performance, really cool siren noise as it dives, cool looking, but, as legojoe said, it seems dumb not to put on retractable gear.
sergeant137 2 years ago
@jayc981 I think that the JU-87 was an earlier generation of dive bomber than the SBD. It was probably more of a contemporary with the Vought SBU2. The method of bomb release and auto pull-out in the JU-87 "Stutzflugzeug" was superior. U.S. Dive Bombers without fighter cover experienced the same high loss rates at the JU-87's did without fighter cover."Swede" Vejtasa's victories in a SBD over three Zeros at Coral Sea was due to his bravery and superior skill.
neptunisregis11 2 years ago
@jayc981 The Stuka is an amazing bird as well. It is easily one of my favorite dive bombers of the era, if not one of my favorite WWII birds. You know when a Stuka is coming. That non-retractable gear makes the Stuka stand out amongst other planes of the era. And that blistering siren scares everyone on the ground:)
Greetings from the US!
Chk6666S 1 year ago
I'm fairly sure this particular Dauntless served with the RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force) in WW2 as NZ5062 and was then returned to the US Marine Corps in 1944. Be nice to see her in RNZAF colours one day.
bazwabat 2 years ago
Yes, this aircraft was transferred to the RNZAF and ferried to Bougainville in March 1944. Named "Francois" by the NZ crew, it flew 30 combat missions with the RNZAF No. 25 Squadron before being transferred to the US Marine Corps at Russell, NZ in May 1944. During the aircraft's restoration in the USA in the mid-1980s, spent cartridge casings from the rear defensive machine gun were found under the floorboards of the cockpit which were left over from this aircraft's combat days with the RNZAF !
octane130 2 years ago
Great, I was just reading up on our history and the Dauntless. Turns out one other may have survived until the 1950s or '60s as an instructional airframe!!!!!! Long gone now though.
Any chance we could have NZ5062 back? lol. ;-) Just kidding we aren't the US Navy ha ha.
Thats fascinating about the spent cartridges. I was on the restoration crew for the RNZAF Museums TBF-1 Avenger. When we paintstripped 40 years of paint off (8 layers!) we found signatures near the tail from the factory!!!
bazwabat 2 years ago
@octane130 one of my favorite planes :) nice plane... nice vid
MrJp990 1 year ago
@octane130
i woulda saved those casings..that whole thing is a big peice of history
tippman2k01 1 year ago
Did SBD stand for "slow but deadly"? Cruising speed was 150 mph, right? Just curious and no offense - I love this plane. It eventually was superseded by the Hell Diver, right?(another awesome dive bomber in the Pacific)
SithLordDarthSidious 2 years ago
What plane number is this? My Grandfather might have flown it in the war.
dustyflair 2 years ago
I have metal model of this plane.
TomekKogutah 2 years ago
in WW2 my grandfather managed to shoot down some dauntlesses, he actually killed the tail gunner on one of them, after the battle of the carrier he made a prayer for the gunner soul.
Akirameerkat 2 years ago
Wow, there's a side of the war we don't hear much of. Interesting.
freiherrudet 2 years ago
He was a man of compassion, even though he was a pilot in combat. He had to do his duty as he felt the enemy pilot had to do his duty , but it still bothered him at the fact he had to take the lives of people in war.
Akirameerkat 2 years ago
The SBD Dauntlesses during the Battle of Midway would have never got near any of the Jap carriers if it had'nt been for the US Devastator torpedo bombers bringing the Japanese fighter cover down to sea level. The US SBDs were then able to attack the Japanese carriers unharrassed, with the Japanese fighters too low an altitude to intercept them. Even though the Devastators never scored a single hit and were blown out of the sky, the true heroes of Midway will always be those Devastator pilots
Faighbas 2 years ago 2
dont forget the wildcat pilots lad
gromsky21 2 years ago
What did the wildcat pilots do at the Battle of Midway?
I thought that the American torpedo planes and dive bombers attacked the Japanese carriers without any fighter protection.
Faighbas 2 years ago
they straifed the ships so to direct the AA away from the torpedo and dive bombers, check the historical documents if you dont believe me.
gromsky21 2 years ago
SBD Dauntless.
Slow But Deadly.
Says it all I reckon.
twinstu50 2 years ago
The sacrafice of Torpedo 8 is what won the Battle of Midway.
settriggers 2 years ago
Love the sound.
NathanKlo 2 years ago 2
Swiss-cheese flaps!
lorenzol1996 2 years ago
This plane is as important as any other in the history of aviation, as much as the Spitfire, Mustang, B-29. It changed the outcome in a specific theatre of war. There aren't that many people who realise the significance this machine had on the outcome of World War 2. It won the Battle of Midway on it's own and turned the war in the Pacific.
pedrojak7 2 years ago 5
...agree
blueflame53 2 years ago
One of the most beautiful airplanes ever built; and if 'beauty is as beauty does' it's even more beautiful still.
terreplein 2 years ago 2
If any of you don't know the significance of the dauntless divebomber, read about the battle of Midway. It just makes me nervous thinking again about it. Dozens and dozens of US torpedo bombers dropped duds and were shot down by FOUR Japanese carriers. Hours later the dauntless crowd rocketed down from heaven and smoked all four japanese carriers. Their bombs were fast, solid and god-sent methinks. Happily, some of our pilots had seen pearl harbor in flames 7 mos. earlier. Japan's back broke.
FrodoFriend 2 years ago 7
and the Japanese were caught flat footed at the moment of the attack. There was munitions and fuel bowsers on the flight decks along with the fully fueled aircraft. Only took a few hits to turn all that into an inferno.
Craigers22763 2 years ago
@FrodoFriend The dauntless was actually prefered over its intended replacement, the Helldiver
Davis4037 1 year ago
@FrodoFriend the dauntless's that glorious day in June 42 definitely put a hitch in the Jap Navy giddyup.. RIP Torpedo sq 8
irish89055 1 year ago
@FrodoFriend They smoked 3. Yamaguchi, in Hiryu, got away and launched a strike which crippled USS Yorktown, before getting clobbered by an American follow-on strike.
tiivc 10 months ago
damn is that enough smoke for ya? awesome plane, btw. I love aviation everything! :-)
commiebobo 2 years ago
This machine was one of 18 SBD-5s loaned to the RNZAF's 25 Squadron in February 1944. After 8 weeks of operations from Piva airstrip, against Japanese positions on Bougainville and New Britain, the surviving 'planes were handed back to the Americans on 20 May in "as new" condition.
The "Planes of Fame" machine was flown by the RNZAF as NZ5062 and piloted by F/S N L Kelly, the WOpAG was F/S B E Cullen. As a relative of a 25 Sqn pilot, I am very grateful that this 'plane is still flying!
johnmc2 2 years ago
uhm, did it perform good during the war? which was heavily favored, the helldiver or the daubntless?
mmmsikim 2 years ago
You gotta love the start-up.
Jamez1818 2 years ago
Such a rare plane. How many are left?
r32adt3db 2 years ago
3 flyable
TheClassicRocker1971 2 years ago
I don't know what is "not-so-especially unexciting" about this. Anyone who doesn't get a thrill out of seeing an SBD still flying has definitely got a hole in their bucket. One little correction: Best did not attack both the Akagi and Hiryu in a single mission. He got the Akagi that morning, then returned to the Enterprise with the rest of his group. Hiryu wasn't spotted until much later that afternoon. Best went back up on a second mission for the strike on Hiryu.
jc1mtt 2 years ago 2
Beutiful beutiful warbird my fav of all the WWII planes out there. Would love to own one and especially be in one dropping from 17000ft to 1000ft during a 70 degree dive bomb run
NAVC130VET 3 years ago
beaut!
OleYanks 3 years ago
I thought they were all gone...
That's the winner of WW2 on two oceans..
tyrbolo 3 years ago
i don't think he can see over the nose when taxing. It's so high.
thehalfvolley 3 years ago
damn beautiful plane!
slayerrat 3 years ago
Fantastic plane and so efficient at Midway. Who designed it ? Thanks for the video
DeRoquencourt 3 years ago
the fokker company did
BlikjeBier 3 years ago
dummy :-)))
DeRoquencourt 3 years ago
?why?
BlikjeBier 3 years ago
The U.S invented the Dive Bomber.
Dogmeat1950 3 years ago
i do not believe you
tell me, with which aircraft did the usa introduce the first dive bomber?
BlikjeBier 3 years ago
first of all if you knew soem hsitory you woudl know that the USMC was the first to do Dive bombing.
Second a man name Glenn Curtiss made the Curtiss Hawk Dive Bomber. which Ernst Udet got to test fly. who then had Germany buy 1 of the hawks an send it to Germany. thus givign birth to the Stuka.
not trying to be an ass but looking this up FOR YOU only took 2 mins.
Dogmeat1950 3 years ago
Thank you Dogmeat1950 you beat me to the punch, some of us know our history.
klesmer 3 years ago
:) hey thx. just wish ppl would pick up a book or do a just a bit of research, instead of say your lying! lol.
Dogmeat1950 3 years ago
Jack Northrop was the personal designer for this aircraft. Douglas was the company.
nuclear944 3 years ago
He was indeed. the SBD was a direct development of the Northrop BT-1, a contemporary of the SB2U Vindicator and the biplane SBC Helldiver.
NannyWhip 2 years ago
The Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber Is Most Famous During The Battle Of Midway. While The Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero's Fighter Patrol's Were Dealing With The Douglas TBD Devestator Torpedo Bomber's. The SBD's Were Allowed to Attack And Sink the Japanese carriers IJN Akagi, IJN Hiryu, IJN Kaga, And IJN Soryu Unchallenged. It Was a Decisive American Victory Over The Japanese Navy
AmericanPatriot957 3 years ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
UR FUNNY!! MSG me on MSN. ID is in my profile. x
SVCSAYTAK 3 years ago
Great video! This plane belongs to Planes of Fame in Chino, CA. I had the pleasure of attending a seminar on dive bombing and flight demo of this beautiful bird about 3 weeks ago. This particular model saw action with the New Zealand air corps during the war. During it's restoration, about 35 pounds of ammunition links and casings were found under the floor of the rear gunners position. The old timers who spoke at the seminar had nothing but praise for the SBD and the punishment it could take.
jtp0321 3 years ago
Saw one at Lakelan, FL at Sun 'n' Fun and at Oshkosh, WI at Airventure. It mighty have been the same one cause from what I understand there is only ONE flying. I could be wrong though
fighter0w1 3 years ago
this vid is totally awsome. though that patticular version is 99.9% accurate. it doesent feature the tail gun. but great eather way. wish it would have demestrated a dive.
LMarcy8 3 years ago 3
Your comment is fully understandable, but the gunner's gun actually IS present on this aircraft, but it is stowed in the rear cockpit and you just can't see it! The lucky passenger on this flight received a briefing on how to open the various portions of the rear canopy, reverse the seat and raise the gun to firing position.The gun is mounted on a quite complicated mechanism which enables the gun to be retracted and the rear canopy to be fully closed when not in combat. Thanks for your comment!
octane130 3 years ago
Great vid!
Frank
ct1600 3 years ago 3
Do you have any videos wherein you can hear all of the pumps and gadgets on the engine spool up before contact? I love those sounds. If not, then thanks anyway! I enjoy your videos tremendously!
Critter145 3 years ago
i just finished the model of the SBD. too bad we didnt need them in Europe, Germany would have seen a real dive bomber
pen24 3 years ago 3
Hellllllll yeah
blownglasslide 3 years ago
Great Uncle was a pilot with the Grim Reapers. John Leppla, if you know anything of history regarding these planes and their historic missions, you'll know his name!
galantnole 3 years ago 2
This is by FAR my favorite video on the SBD! Thanks again octane; you blew me away!
DauntlessDriver546 3 years ago 3
...in barely 5 minutes one afternoon in June of 1942 the supposedly obsolete Slow But Deadlies dropped near vertical out of the sky to destroy three Jap carriers...a little later they finished off the fourth and won one of the 10 most important battles of all time and sent Japan in a spiral that they never recovered from...my favorite!
pkosiba 3 years ago 3
Brilliant as usual..
God those old radials sound good. I am so jealous -the closest we get to a "warbird" here is the occasional AP-3C Orion sub-chaser, or F/A-18..
DrHoldowicz 3 years ago 3
Phenomenal video! The SBD Dauntless is one of my favorite planes of WWII. Thank you so much for making the video. I would have liked a little more footage of it in the air, but, nevertheless, I loved it. 5 stars and 2 thumbs, and it doesn't deserve anything less.
razgrizaceblaze259 3 years ago