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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0035.PDF
JANUARY 7TH, 1943 HEIR CHARACTERISTICS BREWSTER BERMUDA ,. DIHEDRALFROM ROOTS LONG "GLASSHOUSE* VERY LARGE DIMENSIONS Span Length Height Wing Area OF BERMUDA .. 47ft. .. 39ft. bin. .. 15ft. 3in. .. 370 sq.ft. SLIGHTTAPER IN 1940, when the German Stukas did so much to blasta way for the advancing ground forces, the BritishGovernment decided it was high time we had some dive-bombers, and so ordered the Brewster 340, which it was decided to call the Bermuda. The delay of some two years in their delivery is an indication of how long it takes to get into actual quantity production even with a type that is already partially developed. Of course, it was not realised in those desperate days of 1940 and later that the success of the German Stukas lay far more in the weakness of aerial opposition—which was often non-existent-—than in any intrinsic qualities of their own. Since then it has been proved that against adequate fighter opposition the dive-bomber is easy meat indeed, and a most expensive way of using aircraft and their crews. Nevertheless, the dive-bomber with a reason- able performance which means a considerably better one than that of the Junkers JU87) can, under the right con- ditions, be a most effective weapon. Even the Germans have now realised its limitations. The production version of the Bermuda for the R.A.F. has undergone a number of changes which are important from the spotter's point of-view. Chiefly, the gun-turret, originally located at the rear end of the cockpit cover, has been abandoned, presumably in favour of an ordinary gun- position, and the area, of the fin has been increased by giving it a straight, sloping leading-edge that reaches much farther forward than did the curved outline of the original fin. The elliptical tailplane with the "bite" in the trail- ing-edge for rudder clearance remains the same, however, as do the slightly tapered, round-tipped wings of com- paratively low aspect-ratio Perforated trailing-edge flaps act as dive brakes. * Substantially the same in general layout as the Bermuda, the U.S. Navy's version of the Brewster 340 dive-bomber is known officially as the SB2A-2, and goes by the name of the Buccaneer.. The main differences are in its arma- ment, details of which are not available for publication, and in various aspects of equipment peculiar to the re- spective Services.
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