The Buccaneer was as unsuccessful in its designed role of carrier-borne dive-bomber as the F2A had been as a fighter. First flown on 17 June 1941, this was a mid-wing all-metal monoplane fitted with a 1,267kW Wright Double-Row Cyclone R-2600-8 engine. Production deliveries were made to the RAF in 1942 as SB2A-1 (known as Bermuda and quickly relegated to training and target-towing duties), and to the US Navy from 1943 as SB2A-2, -3 and -4; the latter were produced for the Netherlands East Indies but were not delivered and were used instead as trainers. A total of 750 Buccaneers were built.
FACTS AND FIGURES
© The prototype was tested with a
mock-up powered dorsal turret, but
this caused such buffeting that it
was abandoned and traditional
hand-aimed guns were used instead.
© The firepower of the Bermuda
was the same as the Spitfire
Mk 1 - eight machine guns,
albeit distributed between the
cowling, wings and rear cockpit.
© The RAF's Bermudas lacked the
arrester hook and folding wings of
the US Navy's SB2As.
Brewster SB2A Buccaneer on YOUTUBE
