American light bombers and reconnaissance aircrafts (1 Viewer)

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The Curtiss SO3C Seamew was developed by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation as a replacement for the SOC Seagull as the United States Navy's standard floatplane scout. Curtiss named the SO3C the Seamew but in 1941 the US Navy began calling it by the name Seagull, the same name as the aircraft it replaced (the Curtiss SOC a biplane type), causing some confusion. The British Royal Navy kept the Curtiss name, (Seamew), for the SO3C that they ordered. One of the US Navy's main design requirements was that the SOC Seagull's replacement had to be able to operate both from ocean vessels with a single center float and from land bases with the float replaced by a wheeled landing gear.

From the time it entered service the SO3C suffered two serious flaws: in-flight stability problems and problems with the unique Ranger air-cooled V-shaped inline engine. The stability problem was mostly resolved with the introduction of upturned wing tips and a larger rear tail surface that extended over the rear observer's cockpit. The additional tail surface was attached to the rear observer's sliding canopy and pilots claimed there were still stability problems when the canopy was open. The canopy was often open because the aircraft's main role was spotting. While the in-flight stability problem was eventually addressed (although not fully solved), the Ranger XV-770 engine proved a dismal failure even after many attempted modifications. Poor flight performance and a poor maintenance record led to the SO3C being withdrawn from US Navy first line units by 1944. The older biplane SOC was taken from state-side training units and restored to first-line service on many US Navy warships until the end of World War II.

Source: Wikipedia
 

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In 1936, a group of wealthy residents of Long Island, including E. Roland Harriman, approached Grumman and commissioned an aircraft that they could use to fly to New York City. In response the Grumman Model G-21 was designed as a light amphibian transport. Grumman's typically rugged engineering produced a high-winged monoplane of almost all-metal construction - the trailing half of the main wing and all of the flight control surfaces except for the flaps were fabric-covered. It was powered by two 450 horsepower (340 kW) Pratt Whitney R-985 Wasp Jr. nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engines mounted on the leading edges of the wings. The deep fuselage served also as a hull and was equipped with hand-cranked retractable landing gear. First flight of the prototype took place on May 29, 1937. The fuselage also proved versatile as it provided generous interior space that allowed fitting for either a transport or luxury airliner role. Having an amphibious configuration also allowed the G-21 to go just about anywhere, and plans were made to market it as an amphibian airliner.


There were a number of modifications of the Goose, but the most numerous were those by McKinnon Enterprises of Sandy, Oregon, who had twenty-one supplemental type certificates (STCs) for modifying G-21 series aircraft and who also manufactured four different conversions that were re-certified under a separate FAA type certificate (TC no. 4A24) as brand new "McKinnon" airplanes. The first was the McKinnon model G-21C which involved replacing the original R-985 radial engines with four Lycoming GSO-480-B2D6 piston engines. It was approved under TC 4A24 on November 7, 1958 and two examples were built in 1958-1959.

Source: Grumman OA-9 Goose | Facebook
 

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Development of the Curtiss SC Seahawk began in June 1942, when the US Navy requested the company to submit proposals for an advanced wheel/float scout aircraft. The easily convertible landing gear configuration was required so that the aircraft could be operated from aircraft carriers and land bases, or be catapulted from battleships, and the type was required to replace the rather similar Curtiss Seamew and Vought Kingfisher which stemmed from 1937 procurements to satisfy a similar role. The Curtiss Model 97 design proposal was submitted on 1 August 1942 but it was not until 31 March 1943 that a contract for two XSC-1 (Model 97A) prototypes was issued.

An all-metal cantilever low-wing monoplane, the SC Seahawk had fold-able wings with considerable dihedral on their outer panels and strut-mounted wingtip stabiliser floats. The central float, which could also accommodate some auxiliary fuel, and the main wheeled landing gear units shared common attachment points. Power was provided by a Wright R-1820-62 Cyclone 9 radial engine.

The first prototype made its maiden flight on 16 February 1944, and was followed by 500 production SC-1 (Model 97B) aircraft which had been contracted in June 1943. All were delivered as land-planes, the stabiliser floats and Edo central float being purchased separately and installed as and when required by the US Navy. Delivery of production aircraft began in October 1944, the first equipping units aboard the USS Guam. A second batch of 450 SC-1s was contracted, but of these only 66 had been delivered before contract cancellation at VJ-Day. An improved version" was developed, changes including the installation of a 1063kW R-1820-76 engine, provision of a clear blown canopy, and a jump seat behind the pilot. The modified prototype, at first designated XSC-1A and then XSC-2 (Model 97C), led to receipt of a contract for similar production SC-2 (Model 97D), but only 10 had been delivered by the war's end.

Source: Curtiss SC Seahawk - single-seat scout, ASW aircraft
 

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The first serial production Seahawks were delivered on 22 October 1944, to the USS Guam. All 577 aircraft eventually produced for the Navy were delivered on conventional landing gear and flown to the appropriate Naval Air Station, where floats were fitted for service as needed. Capable of being fitted with either float or wheeled landing gear, the Seahawk was arguably America's best floatplane scout of World War II. However, its protracted development time meant it entered service too late to see significant action in the war. It was not until June 1945, during the pre-invasion bombardment of Borneo, that the Seahawk was involved in military action. By the end of the war, seaplanes were becoming less desirable, with the Seahawk being replaced soon afterward by helicopters. Tri-color camouflage and markings on the Seahawk were in accordance with US Navy regulations from 1944, 1945 and later postwar regulations
 

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More Pics
 

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In October 1939, the US Navy issued a request for proposals for a new carrier-based torpedo bomber to replace the Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, which was clearly obsolescent even though it had only entered service two years earlier. The Navy requirement specified an aircraft with a crew of three; a top speed of 480 KPH (300 MPH); a warload of one 900 kilogram (2,000 pound) torpedo or three 225 kilogram (500 pound) bombs in an internal bombbay; armor protection; self-sealing fuel tanks; and a powered dorsal turret. Two finalists were selected in April 1940, with the Navy ordering two prototypes each of the Vought "XTBU-1 Sea Wolf" and the Grumman "XTBF-1". The first of the two Grumman XTBF-1 prototypes flew on 7 August 1941, with Grumman test pilot Bob Hall at the controls. It was not a promising beginning: Hall had to promptly land the aircraft again, since he immediately realized it was dangerously underpowered. Weight was reduced and Hall tried again the next day, with the same result. He managed to get airborne the day after that, but the aircraft suffered badly from yaw instability and the flight was somewhat hair-raising. Grumman engineers went back to the drawing board and made a number of changes, with the result that the XTBF-1 finally began to fly right. However, the first XTBF-1 was lost on 28 November 1941 when it caught fire, both aircrew bailing out safely. The second prototype performed its first flight on 15 December 1941, not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy on 7 December.

The Navy was in such a hurry that the Grumman design had already been selected it for production in December 1940, months before first flight of the aircraft, after inspection of plans and a full-scale mockup. An initial order for 286 machines was placed at that time. The first production "TBF-1 Avenger" performed its initial flight on 30 December 1941, with formal Navy acceptance following on 30 January. A total of 1,123 TBF-1s would be built in all. The Avenger was Grumman's first torpedo bomber. It was a barrel-shaped, low-wing aircraft that a clear resemblance to a scaled-up Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter; the Navy was in a rush and so Grumman engineers leveraged off of an available design to get the job done. The Avenger's performance and handling qualities were good, and it was, like other Grumman aircraft, very rugged. It was powered by a single 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled Wright R-2600-8 Twin Cyclone radial engine with 1,270 kW (1,700 HP), driving a three-bladed variable-pitch constant-speed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propeller. Top speed was about 10% less than Navy spec, but since the aircraft met other specs very well, and since the performance drop had been due to additional Navy requirements, the lower speed was judged acceptable. The big wings folded up and back using a hydraulic system so they lay along the sides of the fuselage, an arrangement that Grumman had developed for the Wildcat that would be a mark of many Grumman carrier aircraft. The production aircraft's tailfin featured a sizeable fin fillet, added very quickly after the initial flights of the XTBF-1 to correct the yaw instability problem.

Source: The Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger
 

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The Avenger had tailwheel landing gear, with all three gear retractable and with single wheels. The main gear hinged in the wing root to retract outward into the wings, with the gear splayed outward slightly to ensure the aircraft had a wide and stable track. The main gear could be deployed in flight to act as dive brakes; there were no covers over the wheels when they were retracted, since the covers have been judged to do little more than add weight. There was a stinger-type arresting hook that retracted back into the tail. The aircraft had a long weapons bay that could accommodate a torpedo; up to four 225 kilogram (500 pound) bombs; depth charges; or mines. In response to requests from aircrew, an auxiliary bombbay fuel tank with a capacity of 1,023 liters (270 US gallons) was later developed. The tank could be discarded in flight; since it wasn't self-sealing, it was generally drained first. In service, Avengers would also drop supply packs or canisters to ground troops, demonstrating the aircraft's flexibility. Each bombbay door consisted of two hinged panels that folded out to the side when opened. There was a window at the back of the bombbay for level bombing with a Norden bombsight, though it wouldn't see that much use in action. Along with the wing fold, the main landing gear, bombbay doors, and flaps were all hydraulically actuated, while the other flight surfaces were manually controlled. Grumman would have some trouble with the hydraulics, which suffered from the basic weakness of the technology: a tendency to leak.

The Avenger carried a crew of three, including a pilot, bombardier, and radio operator, sitting under a long greenhouse canopy that ended in the dorsal turret, with a rear fuselage compartment beneath the turret. The bombardier sat inside the rear compartment, where he sighted through the open weapons bay and also handled the belly gun; there were also two tubes for dropping parachute flares and the like at the rear of the compartment. The radio operator sat behind the pilot and operated the turret gun. The first 50 production TBF-1s had auxiliary flight controls for the radio operator, though the concept proved impractical and the controls were deleted with the 51st machine. The crew could clamber into the aircraft through the rear of the greenhouse canopy, or through a small door on the right side of the fuselage, behind the wing.

Initially, Avengers were flown with slate gray colors on top and light gray colors on bottom, with red-and-white tail stripings and the US star insignia sporting a red "meatball" in the center. Red markings were eliminated in May 1942 to eliminate potential confusion with Japanese aircraft. Photographs survive of Avengers painted with fake gun ports on the wing leading edges, presumably as an intimidation tactic; pictures of Avengers with the fake guns are uncommon, suggesting that the trick didn't work all that well. The Avenger would be nicknamed the "Turkey", meaning it was a "big bird", the name not having any particularly insulting connotations in those days.
 

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The Avenger saw its initial combat, if with little distinction, during the Battle of Midway in June 1942, with six attempting to perform torpedo attacks on the Japanese fleet. Lacking air cover, five of the Avengers were shot down and only one making it back to base in badly shot-up condition. That was not getting off to a good start, but Navy aircrew were not very experienced with flying the type or using it properly in combat operations. They had to get up to speed fast, since within two months the Avenger had completely replaced the Devastator in first-line Navy service. The Avenger drew first blood during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August 1942, when a TBF-1 put a torpedo into the Japanese carrier RYUJO, which had to be scuttled after suffering further hits from Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers. Avengers and Dauntlesses made an effective team, and scored further successes in the battle for the Solomons through the remainder of the year. Avengers also saw combat for the first time in the European theater in November 1942, when they performed attacks on Vichy French naval vessels during Operation TORCH, the Anglo-American invasion of North Africa. Late production TBF-1s had longwave ASB radar, with a Yagi-style row antenna under each wing, to give them a foul-weather attack capability. The radio operator handled the radar; ASB was a primitive set, but it was adequate to find a ship-sized target at moderate ranges. Late production TBF-1s also had a few minor changes, such as rearrangement of rear-fuselage compartment windows.

One TBF-1 was modified to a single-seat configuration in hopes of using the design as the basis for a heavy fighter, the "FTBF-1". The idea was that the reduced weight would improve performance, but the weight reduction was small and the performance gain unimpressive; the project was abandoned, though after the war a second Avenger was, for whatever reason, modified to a cleaner single-seat configuration. Another TBF-1 was modified with a two-gun Martin turret, but it didn't work out, since with two guns there were more interruptions when the tailfin came into the line of fire. A TBF-1 was also fitted up with a set of lights around the cowling and the wing leading edges; the idea of the exercise, named Project YEHUDI after a popular stage magician, was to reduce the contrast of the aircraft during daylight flight so it couldn't be seen by a target except at close range. It worked as desired, with the detection range cut to a tenth of normal, but for whatever reasons the system wasn't approved for service.
 

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The Northrop Gamma 2F was an attack bomber derivative of the Northrop Gamma transport aircraft, developed in parallel with the Northrop Gamma 2C, (of which one was built, designated the YA-13 and XA-16. The Gamma 2F had a revised tail, cockpit canopy and wing flaps compared with the Gamma 2C, and was fitted with a new semi-retractable undercarriage. It was delivered to the United States Army Air Corps for tests on 6 October 1934, and after modification, including fitting with a conventional fixed undercarriage, was accepted by the Air Corps. A total of 110 aircraft were ordered as the A-17 in 1935. The resulting A-17 was equipped with perforated flaps, had fixed landing gear with partial fairing. It was fitted with an internal fuselage bomb bay that carried fragmentation bombs and well as external bomb racks. Northrop developed a new undercarriage, this time completely retractable, producing the A-17A variant. This version was again purchased by the Army Air Corps, who placed orders for 129 aircraft. By the time these were delivered, the Northrop Corporation had been taken over by Douglas Aircraft Company, export models being known as the Douglas Model 8.

The A-17 entered service in February 1936, and proved a reliable and popular aircraft. However, in 1938, the Air Corps decided that attack aircraft should be multi-engined, rendering the A-17 surplus to requirements. From 14 December 1941, A-17s were used for coastal patrols by the 59th Bombardment Squadron (Light) on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal. In June 1940, 93 ex-USAAC aircraft were purchased by France, and refurbished by Douglas, including being given new engines. Not having been delivered before the fall of France, 61 were taken over by the British Purchasing Commission for the RAF and given the name Nomad. They were assessed as being obsolete and sent to South Africa for use as trainers. The remaining 32 aircraft from the French order were transferred to Canada, where they were also used as advanced trainers and target tugs. The last remaining A-17s, used as utility aircraft, were retired from USAAF service in 1944.
 

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Northrop used the Gamma transport as the basis of a private-venture design for a light attack bomber, identifying this as the Northrop Gamma 2C which, powered by a 548kW Wright SR-1820F radial engine, was acquired for evaluation by the US Army Air Corps in June 1934 under the designation YA-13. Subsequently re-engined with a 708kW Pratt Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp, this aircraft was redesignated XA-16 (Northrop Gamma 2F). Following tests of the YA-13 and XA-16, Northrop received $2 million contract for 110 attack bombers designated A-17, but because testing of the XA-16 had shown that the aircraft was over-powered, the Gamma 2.F was re-engined with a 559kW Pratt Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior, serving as the prototype for the A-17. Following the incorporation of several other modifications, the first of 109 production A-17 aircraft was delivered in December 1935. A contract was received in the same month for an improved A-17A, introducing retractable tailwheel landing gear and the 615kW Pratt Whitney R-1535-13 engine. Some 129 were built, initially by Northrop, but in 1937 Douglas acquired the remaining 49% of Northrop Corporation's stock, and it was the Douglas Company which completed production of these aircraft. Of the total, 93 served with the USAAC for only 18 months, then being returned to Douglas for sale to the UK and France. The Royal Air Force received 60, designating them Nomad Mk I, and all were transferred to the South African Air Force. Douglas also built this aircraft for export under the designation Douglas Model 8A, supplying them to Argentina, Iraq, the Netherlands and Norway. A batch of 34 Model 8A-5 aircraft was also built for Peru, 31 of them being commandeered by the US Army Air Force in early 1942 for use in an attack role. Armed with six 7.62mm machine-guns and able to carry up to 816kg of bombs, all were used in a training role under the designation A-33.

Source: Northrop A-13, A-16, A-17, A-33 - attack aircraft
 

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The Curtiss SBC Helldiver was a U.S. Navy biplane with retractable landing gear that first flew in 1934. The Navy never ordered any additional aircraft other than monoplanes as combat aircraft after the SBC. The SBC Helldiver was originally ordered as a fighter, then an observation aircraft, then a combination observation bomber, and eventually as a dive bomber. It was modified by Curtiss with each role change proposed by the Navy. The SBC Helldiver originally was a single parasol wing design. This was found unsatisfactory when it was used as a dive bomber. The design was changed to a conventional biplane wing. More powerful engines were fitted to the airframe. Deliveries of the Curtiss SBC Helldiver to the U.S.N. began in 1939. Both the Americans and the British used the aircraft as trainers, for by this time they were outmoded by more modern aircraft. We are told that although the Helldiver did not contribute to the war effort as a combat aircraft, it had great value as a dive bombing training aircraft. A total of 257 Curtiss SBC Helldiver aircraft of all types were produced.
 

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Developed by General Aviation (the precursor of North American Aviation) to meet a US Army specification for an observation aircraft, the GA-15 represented a radical change in design for such a role in that, unlike its predecessors, it was a low-wing monoplane with an enclosed cockpit, seating a three-man crew. Powered by a 634kW Wright Cyclone engine, the prototype flew in mid-1935 and to provide an acceptable field of view for the observer a glazed nose position was located under the fuselage. North American put the type into production to meet a USAAC contract for 109 North American O-47A aircraft ordered in February 1937, later increased to 164. They were powered by 727kW Cyclones, while 74 O-47B aircraft had 790kW engines and additional fuel capacity. During World War II they served as trainers and target tugs.
 

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In the spring of 1938, a Northrop dive-bomber designated the BT-1 entered service with the US Navy. Its influence was felt over at the Douglas Company, where a new naval dive-bomber was designed and produced based on the Northrop design. Initially designated the XBT-2, the new design was later called the SBD when Northrop was bought out by the Douglas Company. Production began in 1940, and although the SBD had a general likeness to its Northrop predecessor, it was a completely different airplane. Testing of the prototype (with a 1,000-hp Wright Cyclone engine) revealed an exceptionally capable airplane.

In April 1939, the US Marine Corps and US Navy placed orders for the SBD-1 and SBD-2, respectively, the latter having increased fuel capacity and revised armament. The first SBD-1s entered service with the Marines' VMB-2 Squadron in late 1940, and the first SBD-2s joined the Navy in early 1941. The next variant to appear, the SBD-3, entered service in March 1941, and incorporated self-sealing and larger fuel tanks, armor protection, a bullet-proof windshield, and four machine guns. The SBD-4 followed with an upgraded 24-volt electrical system, and a few of these were converted to SBD-4P reconnaissance platforms.

The next, and most produced, variant was the SBD-5, which was built at Douglas's new Tulsa, Oklahoma plant. It had a 1,200-hp R-1820-60 engine and increased ammunition capacity. Over 2,400 SBD-5s were built, and a few were shipped to the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, under the designation Dauntless DB.Mk I, but these were never used operationally. Mexico also took delivery of a small number of SBD-5s. The SBD-6, the final variant, had an even more powerful engine and greater fuel capacity.

Meanwhile, the US Army, realizing that it did not have a dive bomber equal in capability to Germany's Ju 87 Stuka, ordered the SBD-3 in 1941, under the designation A-24. This aircraft was identical to the Navy airplanes except it did not have an arresting hook, and its tailwheel had an inflated tire instead of a solid rubber one. The A-24 was never found to be of great use during WWII, as its range and performance were inadequate for service in the South Pacific, and the dive-bombing mission was of little use elsewhere. Nevertheless, the A-24 (and later the A-24A, equivalent of the SBD-4; and A-24B, equivalent of the SBD-5) remained in service with the US Army Air Corps for several years after the war.

Source: Warbird Alley: Douglas SBD Dauntless
 

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U.S. Navy and Marine Corps SBDs saw their first action at Pearl Harbor. A total of 18 SBDs from the carrier USS Enterprise arrived over Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack, and Scouting Squadron Six (VS-6) lost six aircraft, while Bombing Squadron Six (VB-6) lost one. Most Marine SBDs of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 232 (VMSB-232) were destroyed on the ground at Ewa Mooring Mast Field. On 10 December 1941, Enterprise SBDs sank the Japanese submarine I-70. In February-March 1942, SBDs from the carriers USS Lexington, Yorktown and Enterprise took part in various strikes on Japanese installations in the Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands, New Guinea, at Rabaul, on Wake and on Marcus Island. Later, SBDs painted to resemble Japanese aircraft appeared in the John Ford film December 7th (1943). The type's first major use was in the Battle of the Coral Sea, when SBDs and TBDs sank the Japanese carrier Shōhō. SBDs were also used as anti-torpedo combat air patrol (CAP) and scored several times against Japanese aircraft trying to attack Lexington and Yorktown.

Their relatively heavy gun armament—two forward firing .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns and either one or two rear flexible-mount .30 in (7.62 mm) AN/M2 machine guns—was effective against the lightly built Japanese fighters, and many pilot-gunner combinations took an aggressive attitude to fighters which attacked them. One pilot—Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa—was attacked by three Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighters but managed to shoot two of them down and cut the wing of the third in a head-on pass with his wing tip. However, the SBD's most important contribution to the American war effort probably came during the Battle of Midway in early June 1942, when SBD dive bomber attacks sank or fatally damaged all four of the Japanese aircraft carriers, three of them in the space of just six minutes (Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, and later in the day Hiryū) as well as heavily damaging two Japanese cruisers (including Mikuma). At Midway, Marine SBDs were not as effective. One squadron, VMSB-241, operating from Midway Island, was not trained in the "Helldiving" technique; instead, the new pilots resorted to the slower but easier glide bombing technique, which led to heavy losses. The carrier-borne squadrons, on the other hand, were much more effective, combined with their F4F Wildcat fighter escorts. The success of dive bombing was due to two important circumstances: firstly, and most importantly, the Japanese carriers were at their most vulnerable, readying bombers for battle, with full fuel hoses and armed ordnance strewn across their hangar decks. Secondly, the valiant but doomed assault of the TBD squadrons from the American carriers had drawn the Japanese fighter cover away from the dive bombers, thereby allowing the SBDs to attack unhindered.
 

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