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United States' Vought SB2U Vindicator^1,2 dive bomber

Vought SB2U Vindicator dive bomber:

Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator dive bomber:

Vought SB2U Vindicator dive bomber:

Design

The Vought SB2U Vindicator was the United States Navy's first monoplane scout / bomber designed in 1935.^1,2 The SB2U was also all metal, which was an innovation for an aircraft of the 1930s.^1,2

Competition

The SB2U beat out the SB3U biplane in tests at the Anacostia Naval Station in 1936.¹

Given Its Name

The name Vindicator wasn't used until the SB2U-3 model was being delivered to the United States Navy.¹

Bombs Away

There was a device that held the bomb and pulled it clear of the plane when released.¹ This was called the "trapeze."¹

Landing Gear

The undercarriage would rotate 90° and retract rearward into the wing.¹

There was an arrestor hook for carrier landing.¹ The Royal Navy used a different arrestor hook on their aircraft.¹

Prototype

The XSB2U-1 first flew on January 4, 1936.¹

Production

The SB2Us were produced in Stratford, Connecticut at the Vought Sikorsky plant.¹

An order was placed for 54 SB2U-1s in October 1936.²

XSB2U-1: 1²
SB2U-1: 54²
SB2U-2: 58²
SB2U-3: 57²
V-156 / Chesapeake: 74²
Total: 244²

Variants

XSB2U-1: Prototype.¹
XSB2U-3: Prototype with floats added in 1939.¹
SB2U-1: First delivered in December 1937.²
SB2U-2: First delivered in late 1938.²
SB2U-3: First delivered in late 1940.² Carried more fuel.² It could carry external fuel tanks.² Gun armament was heavier.² Additional armor protection.² First model to be called Vindicator.²
V-156: Version sold to France and the United Kingdom.¹ Had four forward firing MGs and could cary 1,500 lb / 680 kg of bombs.¹

Usage

The SB2U Vindicators were used by Britain, France, and the United States.²

First Assignment

The VB-3 squadron was the first to receive the SB2Us on December 20, 1937.¹

Aircraft Carriers

SB2U-1s and SB2U-2s equipped seven United States Navy squadrons by 1940 on the carriers Lexington, Saratoga, Ranger, and Wasp.²

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marines had two squadrons of Vindicators in combat.¹ These were the SB2U-3s.²

Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway was one of the few campaigns that the Vindicator saw combat in.^1,2

Training

As the SB2U was replaced in front line units by the Douglas SBD Dauntless it became a very capable training aircraft.¹

France

The French received 24 of the 40 ordered Vought V-156s and some of these were captured by the Germans.^1,2 It is reported that they may have been used to bomb Dover but it wasn't confirmed.¹

United Kingdom

The Royal Navy received 50 of the SB2Us and called them the Vought V-156 Chesapeake.^1,2 They were unable to be used on escort carriers because of their long take off.¹ The V-156s became land based trainers.^1,2

	Vought SB2U Vindicator²	Vought SB2U-1 Vindicator²	Vought SB2U-3 Vindicator^1,2
Type	Scout², Dive bomber²		Scout¹, Bomber¹
Crew	2²		2¹
Engine (Type)	Pratt & Whitney R-1535-96 Twin Wasp Junior²		Pratt & Whitney R-1535-02 Twin Wasp Junior piston¹
OR	Pratt & Whitney R-1535-02 Twin Wasp Junior²
Cylinders	Radial 14²		Radial¹
Cooling
HP	825²		825¹
Propeller blades	2²		2¹
Dimensions
Span	42'² 12.8 m²		42'¹ 12.8 m¹
Length	34'² 10.36 m²		34'¹ 10.36 m¹
Height	10' 3"² 3.12 m²		10' 3"¹ 3.12 m¹
Wing area			305 ft² ¹ 28.33 m² ¹
Weight
Empty		4,676 lb² 2,121 kg²	5,623 lb¹, 5,634 lb² 2,555 kg², 2,556 kg¹
Loaded		7,278 lb² 3,301 kg²	9,400 lb¹, 9,421 lb² 4,273 kg^1,2
Performance
Speed
Speed @ 9,500' / 2,895 m			242 mph¹, 243 mph² 391 kph^1,2
Cruising speed			152 mph² 245 kph²
Climb			1,070'/minute² 326 m/minute²
Service ceiling			23,600'^1,2 7,193 m², 7,195 m¹
Range			1,117 miles¹, 1,120 miles² 1,802 km^1,2
Armament			2: 0.5" MG²
Forward firing			2: 12.7 mm MG¹
Nose		1: 0.3" MG²
Rear cockpit		1: 0.3" MG²	1: 12.7 mm MG¹
Bombs		1,000 lb² 454 kg²	1,000 lb^1,2 454 kg^1,2

Sources:

Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998