Vought SB2U Vindicator

what is it?

The Vought SB2U Vindicator is an American carrier-based dive bomber developed for the United States Navy (USN) in the 1930s, the first monoplane in this role. Vindicators still remained in service at the time of the Battle of Midway, but by 1943, all had been withdrawn to training units. It was known as the Chesapeake in Royal Navy service.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 12.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 391 km/htop speed
• size 4,273 kgmax take-off weight
• built 260made 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 90 years ago, in 1936.
• 🏎️Top speed is 3.0× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 12.8 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

1936-01-04

introduced

1937

retired

1945

status

retired

number built

260

role

dive bomber

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Vought

engines

1× Pratt & Whitney R-1535-02 Twin Wasp Jr

crew

2

length

10.3 m

wingspan

12.8 m

height

4.3 m

max take-off weight

4,273 kg

top speed

391 km/h

cruise speed

245 km/h

range

—

ceiling

7,193 m

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