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Douglas TBD Devastator

🇺🇸 United States ·first flew 1935· torpedo bomber

🎖️ military piston retired
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Douglas TBD-1 VT-6 in flight c1938: U.S. Navy· Public domain
  2. 2. Douglas TBD-1 Devastator of VT-3 in flight on 4 June 1942 (80-G-21668): Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  3. 3. Douglas TBD-1 Devastator of VT-6 dropping Mark 13 torpedo, 20 October 1941 (80-G-19230-B): Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  4. 4. Douglas TBD-1 Devastator of VT-6 over Wake Island, 24 February 1942 (80-CF-1071-1): Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  5. 5. Douglas TBD-1 Devastator of VT-6 aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6), 19 May 1942 (80370): U.S. Navy film "Task Force in Pacific, 19 May 1942" (428-NPC-16320)· Public domain
  6. 6. Douglas TBD-1 Devastator of VT-6 aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6), in May 1942 (76520): U.S. Navy film "Landings and Take-Offs aboard USS Enterprise" (428-NPC-2704)· Public domain
  7. 7. Douglas TBD-1 Devastator of VT-6 in flight on 29 July 1941 (80-G-21056-H): Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  8. 8. Douglas TBD-1 Devastator of VT-6 taking off from USS Enterprise (CV-6), 19 May 1942 (80370): U.S. Navy film "Task Force in Pacific, 19 May 1942" (428-NPC-16320)· Public domain
  9. 9. First production Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, in 1937 (74237761): U.S. Navy photo 127-GR-13-517505· Public domain
  10. 10. Inspirational message on TBD-1 Devastator at NAS Norfolk 1941: U.S. Navy· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
Douglas TBD Devastator, photo 1 of 10
1/10 U.S. Navy· Public domain

what is it?

The Douglas TBD Devastator was an American torpedo bomber of the United States Navy. Ordered in 1934, it first flew in 1935 and entered service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the Navy, being the first metal monoplane in the United States Navy; however, by the time of the US entry into World War 2, the TBD was already outdated.

How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · retractable tailwheel (taildragger) · 15.2 m wingspan

base stats

  • speed 331 km/htop speed
  • size 4,624 kgmax take-off weight
  • built 130made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 91 years ago, in 1935.
  • Top speed is 2.5× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • Wingspan of 15.2 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight
1935-04-15
introduced
1937
retired
1942
status
retired
number built
130
role
torpedo bomber
origin
🇺🇸 United States
makers
Douglas
engines
1× Pratt & Whitney R-1830-64 Twin Wasp
crew
3
length
10.7 m
wingspan
15.2 m
height
4.6 m
max take-off weight
4,624 kg
top speed
331 km/h
cruise speed
206 km/h
range
—
ceiling
5,944 m
landing gear
retractable conventional landing gear

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q611939, Wikipedia: Douglas TBD Devastator (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

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