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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 2161.PDF
OCTOBER 15TH, 1942 * TEIR CHARACTERISTICS DOUGLAS DEVASTATOR A SOMEWHAT smaller (and much earlier) type of torpedo-bomber in service with the U.S. Navy, the Douglas Devastator, first found its way on to their aircraft carriers as long ago as 1938. Its type designation is TBD-i, and it was standard equipment on the Saratoga, Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet. Though now outclassed by later types, such as the Avenger, the Vultee TBV-i, and the Vought-Sikorsky TBU-i, the Devastator has seen action during the present war, and is still one of the U.S. Navy's standard torpedo-bombers. The Devastator was probably the world's first monoplane torpedo-bomber when it made its initial appearance in x 937- But even so, it owed something to British pioneer work in torpedo-carrying aircraft during and after the last war, for in the early i920's a Blackburn Dart torpedo-plane was taken to America, and there is no doubt whatever that this old biplane exercised its influence on the Douglas BT-i of 1923, of which the Devastator is a lineal descend ant. Although it is one of the less well-known types of American aircraft, so far as we in this country are con cerned, the TBD-i has done some useful work since that fateful December 7th at Pearl Harbour, and gained honourable mention in the American victory oft Midway Island. The Devastator carries its 21 in. torpedo in a cell or recess under the fuselage, but with its nose projecting; it is therefore housed semi-internally, and the alternative of a bomb load is provided for—particularly the large armour-piercing bomb. A distinctive structural feature is that the skin of the wings (it is of all-metal construction) is corrugated outboard of the rearwardly retracting under carriage ; the wings fold upwards for carrier stowage about half-way along the semi-span. Defensive armament is limited to one fixed synchronised 0.300m. - machine-gun mounted above the cowling, and one manually operated "free" 0.500m. gun in the rear cockpit. Judged by modern standards, its performance is only moderate, its 825 h.p. Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp Junior engine giving it a top speed of 225 m.p.h. at 9,000ft., while its range is 985 miles at an operational speed of 180 m.p.h. A crew of three is carried—pilot (who releases the torpedo or bombs), radio operator-navigator and rear gunner. The '' kinks'' shown in the leading-edge are not suffi ciently pronounced to assist the spotter in recognition.
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