Douglas XT3D

1931

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Douglas XT3D

Designed and built to meet a US Navy requirement for a three-seat torpedo-bomber, the Douglas XT3D-1 prototype was flown for the first time in early 1931. A large and ugly biplane, basically of metal construction with fabric covering, the XT3D-1 incorporated folding wings and arrester gear for carrier-based operations, had fixed tailwheel landing gear, and was powered initially by a Pratt & Whitney S2B1-C Hornet radial piston engine. Accommodation was provided for a crew of three in open cockpits, a bomb-aimer/gunner forward, the pilot in the centre cockpit, just aft of the wing trailing edge, and a second gunner to his rear.

Failing to meet requirements in its initial service trials, the XT3D-1 was returned to Douglas for modification, gaining a more powerful 597kW Pratt & Whitney XR-1830-54 radial engine, wheel fairings for the main units and an enclosed canopy for the two rearmost cockpits. Redesignated XT3D-2, it was returned for further service testing but again failed to attract a production order. It was flown by the US Navy for about 10 years for general-purpose duties before being relegated for use as an instructional airframe in 1941.

Douglas XT3D

Specification 
 ENGINE2 x Pratt & Whitney S2B1-G Hornet radial piston engine, 429kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight3564 kg7857 lb
  Empty weight1922 kg4237 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan15.24 m50 ft 0 in
  Length10.79 m35 ft 5 in
  Height4.03 m13 ft 3 in
  Wing area57.97 m2623.98 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed206 km/h128 mph
  Ceiling4265 m14000 ft
  Range893 km555 miles
 ARMAMENT2 x 7.62mm guns, 832kg of bombs

Comments
Otto Bufonto, e-mail, 19.06.2009 21:01

Bill, you can even find useful information on this website, just scroll down.

reply

Otto Bufonto, e-mail, 19.06.2009 20:51

Definitely not. For Devastator, please see:
en.wikipedia.org /wiki /TBD_Devastator
BR Otto

reply

Bill Byrne, e-mail, 11.06.2009 00:59

Is this the Douglas Devastator torpedo plane flown by Torpedo squadron Eight as mentioned in the new book Dawn Like Thunder by Robert Mrazek? They were stationed on the Hornet during the batle of Midway.

reply

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