Douglas TBD Devastator

Douglas · United States · first flew 1935 · bomber

The Douglas TBD Devastator was the US Navy's first all-metal monoplane torpedo bomber and the first carrier aircraft with hydraulically folding wings, revolutionary at its introduction but obsolete by the time of Pearl Harbor.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	10.67 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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US Navy's first monoplane torpedo bomber
Folding wings for carrier stowage
Suffered catastrophic losses at Battle of Midway

Distinguished by its mid-mounted tapered wing with prominent fold point, rounded fuselage, large fixed main undercarriage spats, and a long glazed canopy over the crew positions.

Specifications

The Douglas TBD Devastator has a length of 10.67 m (35 ft).
It has a wingspan of 15.24 m (50 ft).
Its maximum speed is 332 km/h (206 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in April 1935, the Devastator entered service in 1937 as a genuinely modern design. By 1942 its slow speed and low altitude torpedo attack profile made it fatally vulnerable; at the Battle of Midway in June 1942 the type suffered near-total losses and was immediately withdrawn.

Variants

Only the TBD-1 production version was built; 129 were delivered. A proposed TBD-2 with a more powerful engine was never produced, as the Grumman TBF Avenger took its place.

Where you'll see it

Operated by US Navy carrier torpedo squadrons (VT) from 1937 to mid-1942; withdrawn after Midway and quickly replaced by the TBF Avenger.

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