Vought SB2U Vindicator

1936

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  RECONNAISSANCE, BOMBERVirtual Aircraft Museum / USA / Vought  

Vought SB2U Vindicator

The SB2U was this company's first low-wing monoplane and, like the earlier SBU, was a scout/bomber. Night-flying and deck-landing arrester gear were provided. Power for the initial production version was a Pratt & Whitney R-1535-96 radial engine. The generally similar SB2U-2 version was followed by the SB2U-3, which also formed the basis for the V-156 export model; some of these were delivered to France and the remainder of the order to Britain as the Chesapeake. Unfortunately the Vindicator was not as successful as Vought's earlier biplanes and was soon relegated to a training role.

Vought SB2U Vindicator on YOUTUBE

Vought SB2U Vindicator

Specification 
 MODELSB2U-3
 ENGINE1 x Pratt-Whitney R-1535-02 Twin Wasp Junior, 615kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight4273 kg9420 lb
  Empty weight2556 kg5635 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan12.8 m42 ft 0 in
  Length10.36 m34 ft 0 in
  Height3.12 m10 ft 3 in
  Wing area28.33 m2304.94 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed390 km/h242 mph
  Ceiling7195 m23600 ft
  Range1800 km1118 miles
 ARMAMENT2 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 450kg of bombs

3-View 
Vought SB2U VindicatorA three-view drawing (1426 x 1140)

Comments
Barry, 31.10.2012 14:24

260 built the last one surviving at the Naval Air Museum at Pensacola. It really is staggering how authorities everywhere are happy to take on junk like this!

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Al Meyer, e-mail, 08.05.2012 21:38

I have pictures of the V156 demonstrator sent to the Paris air show. Does anyone have a colored photo of this aircraft? I want to build a model of it and would like the color scheme

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Robert Maxwell, e-mail, 20.10.2010 23:15

The story is that pilots called them "Vibrators" or "Wind Indicators" because of the airplane's deficiencies.

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Bill Jensen, e-mail, 25.05.2010 06:43

Please tell me if it dived as steeply as the Dauntless.

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HOWARD FULLER, e-mail, 27.01.2010 21:16

We had these in VMSB-131, from about mid 1941 until we left fo the Southwest Pacific in about September of 1942 They were fine for long ange flying, but not suitable for combat, they were replaced with SBD's and shortly with TBF's 131 becoming the first Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron in the Maruine Corps.

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Barrett, e-mail, 25.09.2008 18:00

This thing will be best remembered as the airplane in the bluescreen background images during the aerial scenes of the movie "Midway".

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Marty Reddington, e-mail, 28.03.2008 20:16

This plane from what I understand underpowered. This was a definite handicap in the battle of Midway.

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