Curtiss SBC Helldiver

The Curtiss SBC Helldiver was an American, carrier-borne, biplane dive-bomber in service with the US Navy between 1937 and 1944. By the time the United States entered World War II, it had largely been replaced by the Douglas SBD Dauntless, which was a monoplane. However, the SBC Helldiver would also see combat action in this armed conflict in the Pacific Theater of Operations, flying sorties over the Solomon Islands and New Guinea to provide fire support to ground troops. Although it had been outclassed by the new monoplanes by 1941, this dive-bomber was a strong aircraft, with very good handling characteristics, and still very useful and efficient.

The first prototype of the Curtiss SBC Helldiver was the XSBC-1, which was a monoplane fitted with a parasol-type wing. This prototype first flew on June 14, 1934, but it crashed after a propeller blade separated in a high-speed dive. It would crash two more times that year as this aircraft suffered structural wing failure during tests. Thus, due to several technical flaws and faults, the prototype was redesigned into a sturdy biplane aircraft and it became the XSBC-2, which successfully flew for the first time on December 9, 1935. During the tests, the engineers realized that the power plant was not strong enough; therefore, the Wright XR-1510-12 would be replaced by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535-94 radial engine. Having a new power plant, the prototype was re-designated XSBC-3, which entered service with the US Navy on July 17, 1937, being assigned to the USS Saratoga (CV-3). A new version would come into service the following year; it was the SBC-4.

Technical Description

The Curtiss SBC Helldiver was a two-seat, single-engine biplane. It was built with an all-metal airframe and an all-metal monocoque fuselage. Its wing upper plane was mounted forward and over the pilot cockpit. It was secured to the wing lower plane by a pair of interplane struts and wires. The upper plane was firmly secured to the aircraft airframe by 'V'-shaped struts, while the lower plane was mounted on the fuselage. The tail vertical fin rudder was large and rounded and it was usually painted red. The cockpit was long and it had a large greenhouse-type canopy. Although this aircraft was a biplane, the Helldiver was equipped with retractable landing gear, whose main wheels folded up into the sides of fuselage.

Specifications (SBC-3)

Type: dive-bomber/scout-bomber

Length: 8.58 m (28 feet, 2 inches)

Wing Span: 10.36 m (34 feet)

Wing Area: 29.45 m2 (317 square feet)

Height: 3.84 m (12 feet, 7 inches)

Power Plant: one 750-HP, Pratt & Whitney R-1535-94 air-cooled radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 353.2 k/h (220 mph)

Range: 586 km (364 miles)

Service Ceiling: 7,315 m (23,800 feet)

Crew: 2

Armament: two .30-caliber machine guns; one forward firing and the other backward firing mounted in rear cockpit. One 454-kg (1,000-lb) bomb.

Above, three SBC Helldiver bombers flying over the Pacific in 1942.

The prototype XSBC-3 before mass production after successful flight tests.

The SBC-4 version of the Helldiver.

Henschel Hs 123

The Henschel Hs 123 was a German dive-bomber and attack aircraft in service with the Luftwaffe during the 1930s and World War  II. The German pilots liked this combat biplane because it was very reliable and had good handling characteristics. It was also sturdy, being able to take a lot of beating during dive-bombing and strafing operations.

Although the Henschel Hs 123 was regarded as obsolete by the late 1930s, it would play an important role in the German invasion of Poland in 1939, and Operation Barbarossa in 1941. It was an essential weapon of the Blitzkrieg, swooping down out of the sky, together with the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, to attack enemy positions and destroy command posts. However, by late 1944, this renowned biplane had already been relegated as a trainer.

The prototype of the Henschel Hs 123, the V1, first took to the air on May 8, 1935. It was flown by pilot Ernst Udet. After more than a year of flight tests, it entered service with the Luftwaffe in September 1936, in the I. Gruppe Stukageschwader 162, an squadron which was also equipped with Junkers Ju 87 and Arado Ar 65. A total of 375 aircraft were made in three versions; Hs 123A, 123B, and 123C. It first saw combat action in 1937 in the Spanish Civil War, flying combat sorties alongside the Henschel Hs 126.

Technical Description

The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat, single-engine biplane. However, technically speaking, it was in fact a sesquiplane, which means it was one-and-a-half wing aircraft rather than a biplane. This implies that the upper wing span and area were larger than the lower wing. On each side, both planes (upper and lower wing) were joined and fixed together by a single, sturdy wide strut.

The airframe of the aircraft was made of steel tubes, while the front portion of fuselage was all-metal. The Hs 123A-1 version was powered by one BMW 132Dc, 9-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine, which put out 870 horsepower. Only the prototype V1 had a smooth engine cowling, while all production Hs 123s had a cowling with 18 fairings covering the engine valves.

Specifications

Type: single-seat, dive-bomber/close-support aircraft.

Length: 8.33 m (27 feet, 4 inches)

Wing Span: 10.50 m (34 feet, 5 inches)

Wing Area: 24.85 m2 (267 square feet)

Height: 3.22 m (10 feet, 6 inches)

Power Plant: one 870-HP, BMW 132Dc, 9-cyl., radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 341 km/h (211 mph)

Rate of Climb: 900 m/minute

Service Ceiling: 9,000 m (29,500 feet)

Crew: one

Armament: two 7.92-mm MG-17 machine guns; two 20-mm MG-FF cannons; four 50-kg (110-lb) bombs under wing.

Below, three Henschel Hs 123 aircraft in flight in the Summer of 1938.

The first production 123A version of the dive-bomber parked on factory yard in 1935.

Below, two Hs 123s in Spain in 1937. It was part of the Condor Legion and had different camouflage and painting.

The German dive-bomber in July 1939 in Germany, two months before the German invasion of Poland.

Below, Hs 123 aircraft on the Russian Front in the Summer of 1941, during Operation Barbarossa.

Vultee Vengeance

The Vultee Vengeance was an American two-seat dive-bomber used by the British Royal Air Force during World War II. It saw extensive combat service in the Far East, especially in India and Burma, providing fire support to Allied forces (Chindits and Marauders) in their military counteroffensive campaign against the Japanese, known as the Burma Campaign.

The Vultee Vengeance had first been developed and produced in the USA by Vultee as the V-72. It was a private venture in the late 1930s. It had been exported to Brazil, France, and the Soviet Union. Having witnessed the effectiveness of the Junkers Ju-87 dive-bomber as a flying artillery during the Battle of France, Great Britain wanted to have their own specialized dive-bomber. Thus, in 1940, the RAF placed an order for 700 V-72s. As a result, the Vultee's factory in Nashville began churning it out by the hundreds. In British service, it would be designated the Vengeance Mk I, II, III, and IV versions, with a total of 1,205 dive-bombers being delivered to the RAF.

Below, the Vultee A-35 Vengeance in American service in 1943 flying over Tennessee.

When the United States of America entered the war in December in 1941, the US Army Air Corps ordered 270 Vengeance dive-bombers from Vultee in early 1942, designating it as the A-31 and A-35. However, it did not live up to their expectations and almost all of them were relegated to target towing and training from the beginning as they never made it to the front line in American service. Nevertheless, this dive-bomber saw extensive combat action in World War II in British service but in the Far East. The RAF did not employ it in the European or North African theater because the fast German fighters would have wiped them out of the sky quickly.

Technical Description

The Vultee Vengeance was a two-seat, single-engine monoplane. It had cantilever mid-wing, an all-metal airframe, and retractable landing gear. Although it was rather slow, both the A-31 (Mk II/III) and A-35 (Mk IV) variants were well armed and they were able to perform almost vertical dives, which gave it precision when dropping the bombs.

Specifications (A-35)

Type: two-seat dive-bomber.

Length: 12.12 m (39 ft, 9 inch)

Wing Span: 14.63 m (48 ft)

Wing Area: 30.84 m2 (332 sq ft)

Height: 3.91 m (12 ft, 10 inch)

Power Plant: one 1,700-HP, Wright R-2600-13, Cyclone, 14-cylinder radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 449 km/h (279 mph)

Range: 3,701 km (2,300 miles)

Service Ceiling: 6,800 m (22,300 ft)

Armament: six 12.7-mm (.50-cal) M2 Browning machine guns (four wing-mounted and two in cockpit rear); two 454-kg bombs (two 500-lb).

Crew: two

Below, the RAF Vultee Vengeance Mk IV in low-level flight.

The Vengeance Mk II in England in 1942.

Below, the dive-bomber at an Allied airbase in the jungle in Burma.

A squadron of Vengeance dive-bombers in northeast India, flying toward Burma.

The Vultea Vengeance Mk II, III, and IV in the Far East, in action (video).

Douglas SBD Dauntless

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a carrier-based dive-bomber in service with the US Navy during World War II. It was developed from the Northrop BT-1, after Northrop Corporation had been acquired by Douglas. Although it would become obsolete by 1943, the Dauntless was a very reliable and stable aircraft, with excellent handling. The pilots liked it, affectionately calling it the "Barge". Besides, at the time of introduction on February 6, 1940, the aircraft speed, range, and payload were adequate and satisfactory.

To produce the SBD Dauntless, Northrop BT-1 was converted into the XBT-2, which was the first prototype of this famous dive-bomber. It first flew on April 22, 1938, powered by the original engine, a 825-HP Pratt & Whitney R-1536-94 engine. This powerplant would soon be replaced by more powerful ones as the XBT-2 would become the XSBD-1 prototype. When it was introduced into service as the SBD-1, it was fitted with a Wright R-1820-32 radial piston engine, which delivered 1,000 HP. The US Army's variant was known as the A-24 Banshee.

The Douglas SBD Dauntless first saw combat action at the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942. At this military engagement, it helped a lot to turn the tide of the war in the Pacific Theater, sinking four Imperial Japanese Navy's aircraft carriers; Soryu, Kaga, Akagi, and Hiryu. They had been scrambled in a hurry to assist the TBD Devastators, most of which had just been wiped out of the sky by the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zeros. The Devastators were too slow and not maneuverable enough to carry out the dangerous mission of striking the Japanese warships. From the Solomons and New Guinea to the Marshall Islands and the Carolines, it would continue to fly sorties also in a ground-attack role to provide fire support to the US Marines.

Technical Data/Specifications for the SBD-5 version

Type: a two-seat, single-engine, low-wing dive-bomber of all-metal construction.

Length: 10.06 m (33 ft)

Wing Span: 12.65 m (41 ft, 6 in)

Wing Area: 30.19 m2 (325 sq. ft)

Height: 3.94 m (12 ft, 11 in)

Powerplant: one 1,200-HP, Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone, radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 406 km/h (252 mph)

Rate of Climb: 518 m/min. (1,700 ft/minute)

Combat Range: 1,778 km (1,115 miles)

Armament: two fixed, forward-firing 12.7-mm (.50-cal.) M2 Browning machine guns; two trainable 7,62-mm machine guns set up in rear cockpit. One 454-bomb or two 227-kg bombs.

Below, the Douglas SBD in flight. Notice the perforated flaps on the trailing edge of wings. They had 318 oval 3-inch holes. The flaps were lowered to break the acceleration during diving and they were extended for taking off.

A group of SBD-3 Dauntless from USS Enterprise in 1943

 Below, the SBD-4 version in flight around 1943.

 The second production aircraft of the SBD-1 variant, identification mark 2-MB-I.

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive-bomber and scout aircraft in service with the US Navy during World War II. The prototype XSB2C-1 took to the air for the first time on December 18, 1940. The first version, the SB2C-1, was introduced into service with the US Navy Squadron VS-9 in December 1942, with an early deployment on the USS Essex (CV-9). Curtiss produced 6,100 aircraft. It was also used by the US Air Force under the designation A-25A Shrike.

To increase mass production of Helldivers, two Canadian factories began building them as well; Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. and Canadian Car & Foundry Co. Ltd., with the former building 300, and the latter 894 aircraft. These were made under the designation of SBW-1, SBW-2, SBW-3, and SBF-1, SBF-2, and SBF-3. Twenty six Canadian-built Helldivers were supplied to the UK. Thus, the production of this scout-bomber totaled 7,199 aircraft.

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver first saw combat action on November 11, 1943, when 23 SB2C-1s of Squadron VF-17 took off the flight deck of USS Bunker Hill to attack IJN ships moored at Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. They managed to sink two ships and to seriously damage three other vessels. Thus, along with the Douglas SBD Dauntless and the Grumman TBF Avenger, this scout-bomber would play an important role in the Pacific Theater of Operations in providing fire support to US Marines during landing in the island-hopping campaign as well as attacking Japanese aircraft carriers and other capital ships.

Technical Characteristics

The Curtis SB2C was a two-seat, single-engine monoplane. It had cantilever low wing, with a dihedral twist of 6 degrees. Ailerons were located on outer portion of wing trailing edge, with their undersurfaces being fabric-covered. The wing had perforated split flaps on inner portion of wing. The fuselage was all-metal semi-monocoque. It had retractable landing gear, with wheels folding up inwardly into wing root.

The SB2C-4 version of the aircraft was powered by one Wright R-2600-20 Cyclone 14, twin-row, radial piston engine, which delivered 1,900 HP. This variant had provision to carry eight 127-mm (5-inch) rockets, or 454-kg of bombs. It was also fitted with a radar, which was carried in a pod under the wing.

Specifications (SB2C-4)

Type: two-seat dive-bomber/scout

Length: 11.18 m (36 feet, 8 inches)

Wing Span: 15.16 m (49 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Area: 39.20 m2 (422 sq. feet)

Height: 4 m (13 feet, 2 inches)

Maximum Speed: 475 km/h (295 mph)

Rate of Climb: 549 m per minute

Range: 1,875 km (1,165 miles)

Ceiling: 8,870 m (29,100 feet).

Armament: two fixed, forward-firing 20-mm cannons, one in each wing; two 7.62-mm (.30-cal.) machine guns in rear portion of fuselage.

Below, the prototype XSB2C-1, with wings folded.

The SB2C-3 variant in flight over the Pacific in 1944.

Below, the SB2C-2.

Drawing of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 

 

Yokosuka D4Y Suisei

The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei was a fast, carrier-based dive-bomber used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. When it was first spotted in the Pacific, the Allies gave it the code name: 'Judy'. The prototype had first flown in December 1941, entering service the following year. Aichi's manufacturing plants produced a total of 2,033 Suisei aircraft in four versions; D4Y1, D4Y2, D4Y3, and D4Y4.

By 1944, the Yokosuka D4Y had already been deployed to 9 Japanese aircraft carriers; Soryu, Taiho, Unyu, Zuikaku, Hiyo, Shokako, Chitose, Unryu, Shinyo, and Chiyoda. That year, this Japanese dive-bomber took part in the battles that took place during the Allied Mariana Islands campaign, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Iwo Jima, and the naval Battle of Leyte Gulf. Although it suffered many losses in the hands of American fighter aircraft, it sank the USS Princeton, and seriously damaged the USS Franklin, and Kalinin Bay carriers and escort carrier respectively.

Below, front-view photo of the D4Y1. This version of the Suisei was powered by one 1,400-HP Aichi Atsuta 32 piston engine.

Technical Characteristics

The Yokosuka D4Y was a two-seat, single-engine monoplane. It featured cantilever low-wing and an all-metal fuselage. It had a deck arrester hook set under the rear portion of fuselage for carrier landing. Aside from the ailerons, it was fitted with very long flaps on the wing trailing edge, which served as dive brakes for attacks the involved prolonged dives.

The bomb-load was carried in a bomb bay located beneath the forward fuselage, under the two-seat cockpit. The wide track landing gear retracted inwardly, with the wheels being completely housed in the wings, while the tail wheel folded up backwards covered by a hinged door. The D4Y3 version of the Suisei was powered by one Mitsubishi MK8P Kinsei 62 radial engine, which produced 1,560 HP.

Specifications (D4Y3)

Type: dive-bomber

Length: 10.22 m (33 feet, 6.4 inches)

Wing Span: 11.50 m (37 feet, 8.7 inches)

Wing Area: 23.60 m2 (254.04 sq. feet)

Height: 3.74 m (12 feet, 3 inches)

Powerplant: one 1,560-HP, Mitsubishi MK8P-62 engine.

Maxium Speed: 575 km/h (357 mph)

Range: 1,520 km (944 miles)

Armament: two fixed forward firing 7.7mm Type 97 machine gun; one 13.1mm Type 2 machine gun set up in rear cockpit. Bomb-load: 560 kg.

Below, photo of the D4Y prototype taken in 1941.

A Yokosuka D4Y3 in late 1944. It was captured by Allied forces in the Philippines after an emergency landing.

Grumman TBF Avenger

The Grumman TBF Avenger was a carrier-borne torpedo-bomber used by the US Navy during World War II. It had been designed to attack and destroy enemy aircraft carriers and submarines. It was armed with the Mark-13 torpedo, which weighed 1,927 lb (874.1 kg), but it could also carry bombs. The TBF Avenger took part in the destruction and sinking of 42 enemy submarines and 7 Japanese aircraft carriers during the war.

The TBF had been designed by a team led by W. T. Schwendier in response to the Bureau of Aeronautic specifications issued on March 25, 1939. The prototype XTBF-1 flew for the first time on August 7, 1941. After many test flights, the first production torpedo-bomber was delivered to the US Navy in January 1942. It would be called "avenger" after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. It entered service in the TBF-1 version. Grumman and General Motors produced a total of 9,839 units. Former President George Bush was the youngest aviator when he flew this torpedo-bomber in the Pacific Theater of the war.

The Grumman TBF Avenger had its baptism of fire during the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942. Six TBFs of Torpedo Squadron 8 took off from Midway island runway that morning, but only one of the six returned, with the turret gunner dead, and the pilot and radioman wounded. The other five aircraft had been shot down by Japanese A6M Zero fighters and the enemy carriers flak guns.

Technical Characteristics

The Grumman TBF Avenger was a three-seat, single-engine monoplane, which was fitted with hydraulically-folding mid-wing for ease of stowage. The fuselage was of semi-monocoque all-metal construction, with a deep belly of oval cross section. An internal bomb-bay, with hydraulically-operated door, could house either one torpedo or a combination of bombs up to 908 kg.

The cockpit was located above the center section of wings. It was designed for a crew of three: pilot, radio operator, and gunner, who sat beneath a green-house canopy. The aircraft was powered by one 1,700-HP, Curtis-Wright R-2600-8 Cyclone, 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine. This machine drove a three-blade Hamilton Standard Hydraumatic propeller. Landing gear was retractable and it consisted of two main wheeled legs, which folded up outboard into the wings.

Specifications (TBF-1)

Type: torpedo-bomber

Length: 12.20 m (40 feet)

Wingspan: 16.51 m (54 feet, 2 inches)

Wing Area: 45.52 m2 (490 sq. ft.)

Height: 5 m (16 feet, 5 inches)

Powerplant: one 1,700-HP, Curtis-Wright R-2600-8 radial engine.

Maximum Speed: 436 km/h (270 mph)

Ceiling: 6,830 m (22,400 feet)

Range: 1,778 km (1,100 miles)

Armament: four machine guns (two fixed forward firing M2 Browning .50-cal; one .50-cal. in rear turret; and one .30-cal in ventral position). 908 kg of bombs or one Mk 13 torpedo.

Below, the Grumman TBF Avenger flying over the Pacific in late 1944.

Drawing of this torpedo-bomber. Underside view.

Three TBFs flying in formation in early 1945.

Aichi B7A Ryusei

The Aichi B7A Ryusei was a WW2 dive-bomber employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1944 to 1945. Although it had been designed as carrier-based aircraft, it could only operate from Taiho aircraft carrier, which was large enough to scramble this big and heavy dive-bomber. However, Taiho was sunk during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, in June 1944. As a result, the B7A would operate only from land bases until the end of the war. Since it entered service with the Japanese Navy in early 1944, it did not take part in the major battles of the Pacific that had turned the tide of the war, like the Battle of Midway.

Technical Characteristics

The Ryusei was a two-seat, single-engine aircraft. It was fitted with inverted gull wing, which could be folded for carrier storage. It had an all-metal fuselage and retractable landing gear. It could carry one 800-kg torpedo or a bombload of 800 kg. As defensive armament, the B7A had two 20mm Type-99 cannons, fitted in wings, and one 7.93mm Type-1 machine gun. Aichi Kokuki manufactured a total of 230 dive-bombers in three versions: B7A, B7A1, and B7A2.

Specifications

Wingspan: 14 m
Length: 11.50 m
Heigh: 4 m
Engine: Nakajima NK9C 12, with 18 cylinder and delivering 1,825 hp
Maximum speed: 352 mph (567 km/h)
Range: 1,890 miles (3,044 km)

Below, the Aichi B7A dive bomber in flight over the Pacific. Photo taken at the beginning of 1945

 

Akaflieg Berlin B9

The Akaflieg Berlin B9 was an experimental dive bomber, which was designed and tested in 1943. This aircraft had a unique feature; the cockpit, in which the pilot lay in the prone position instead of be sitting like in ordinary plane a pilot did. With pilot's legs stretched out backwards and his head looking down and forward, it was a special design to enable the pilot to overcome the G forces. Today, he is fitted with a G-suit, which is inflated through a pump so that the blood does not flow away from his head, and avoid him getting fainted.

Akaflieg Berlin was a non-profit student research group, which was absorbed and controlled by the Luftwaffe when Adolf Hitler rose to power. In this radical design, the pilot had excellent visibility around him, being able to perfectly look at the ground below him and at the space in front of him, because the aircraft fuselage had a glass nose and canopy. The pilot had a chin rest, so that he did not strain his neck muscles as well as arm rests. He used his feet to control the rudder and brake of the aircraft. The control panels, with the speed and fuel gauges, were set up behind him, on both sides and he checked it through two rear view mirrors.

The Akaflieg Berlin B9 fuselage was made up of trapezoidal steel air frame, which was covered by hardened plywood and canvas. It was fitted with straight wings, which were mounted low on the fuselage. The aircraft was powered by two piston engines, delivering 110 HP each. Its maximum speed was 170 miles per hour. The project was abandoned because it was not practical as there were better and more powerful conventional planes that played the role of dive bombers. It was better and more practical to build more Junkers Ju 87 aircraft than to invest more money and time in a strange plane.

Above, the Akaflieg Berlin B9 experimental dive bomber. Photo taken in the Summer of 1943.

Above, front view of the B9. The engines were underpower and the whole structure was not strong enough to carry a heavy payload of bombs.

Aichi D3A

The Aichi D3A Type 99 'Val' was Japanese dive bomber, which had entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1940. It was extensively used in the Pacific Theater until the end of World War II. It was a carrier-borne monoplane designed and developed by the Aichi firm as a replacement for the obsolete D1A2 biplane, performing its first test flight in 1938. Until the end of the armed conflict, more than 2,000 units were produced in its two main versions: the D3A1 and the D3A2.

It first saw combat action in late 1939, when it was still being tested, in the skies over South Guangxi, China, taking part in the capturing of the city of Nanning. This famous dive bomber also took part in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and in the sinking of the British Navy's HMS Hermes (95) in 1942. It also participated in the air raids that sank the USS Lexington (CV-2), the USS Yorktown (CV-5), and the USS Hornet (CV-8) during the naval battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Santa Cruz, respectively.

Below, a photo of the Aichi D3A Type 99 dive bomber in the skies over China.

 

Technical Characteristics

The Aichi D3A was a carrier-based, two-seat monoplane. Its had elliptical wings, which were mounted low on the fuselage. This type of wing made the 'Val' a very maneuverable aircraft, being able to literally dive to drop the bomb on its target. The D3A2 had more fuel capacity than the D3A1 as it was propelled by a more efficient and powerful engine. This Japanese aircraft was also fitted with fixed landing gear and vertical tail fin, which extended to the dorsal portion of the aircraft for provide it with more stability.

Armament

The D3A was armed with two forward-firing 7.7mm Type 97 machine guns; one flexible mounted 7.7mm machine gun; one 250-kg bomb under the fuselage, and two 60-kg bombs under the wings.

Specifications (D3A2 model)

Type: carrier-based dive bomber

Length: 10.20 m (33 ft 5.6 in)

Wingspan: 14.48 m (47 ft 2 in)

Wing Area: 34.90 m² (375.7 sq ft)

Height: 3.8 m (12 ft 7.6 in)

Power Plant: one Kinsei-54, 1,300 HP, 14-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine, which was built by Mitsubishi

Maximum Speed: 430 km/h (267 mph)

Range: 1352 km (840 miles), with bombload.

Below, the Aichi D3A2 dive bomber flying in the skies over the Pacific. Notice the broad wings, which made it very stable in flight.