SBD Dauntless – Erickson Aircraft Collection

The SBD Dauntless was the primary U.S. Navy dive bomber in the Pacific from 1940 to 1944. True to its nickname “Slow But Deadly,” it was a rugged aircraft with perforated dive flaps for stability, sinking over 300,000 tons of enemy shipping.

Its crowning achievement came in a single, world-changing afternoon at the Battle of Midway, where SBDs destroyed four Japanese carriers in one day, shifting the Pacific war’s momentum. It remains the only U.S. aircraft to participate in all five naval engagements that were fought exclusively between aircraft carriers. 

Learn More: https://www.ericksoncollection.com/aircraft#/douglas-sbd-dauntless/ 

Its personal history is as colorful as its combat legacy; delivered in January 1943 as an A-24 Army Banshee, it first served as a gunnery target tug at Lakeland Air Field, Florida. After being declared surplus, it became a mosquito control sprayer by the City of Portland from 1958 until 1965.

It was sold to the museum in 1994 and restored to the Navy SBD-3 configuration as it appears today. The overall production of the Dauntless was 5,936, yet the museum’s SBD is one of only a few surviving.

Learn More: https://www.ericksoncollection.com/aircraft#/douglas-sbd-dauntless/ 

During its aerial display, the pilot often demonstrates high-angle simulated bombing dives, deploying the aircraft’s signature perforated dive flaps to show how this bomber remained rock-steady while plummeting toward its target.

In a nod to its combat configuration, the Dauntless frequently flies with its canopy partially open, allowing you to hear the raw, nostalgic roar of its radial engine during high-speed tactical passes. While it isn’t a fast, acrobatic airplane like a modern fighter, its steady performance is a tribute to the focused, deadly accuracy that helped win the Battle of Midway.

Rather than focusing on flashy stunts, the SBD’s steady performance honors the reliable, hard-hitting strength that ultimately turned the tide of the war in the Pacific.

Learn More: https://www.ericksoncollection.com/aircraft#/douglas-sbd-dauntless/