Douglas VTB (SD-114-6)

History of Douglas VTB (SD-114-6)

In anticipation of World War II in March 1939, the United States Navy (USN) devised a new plan, specification SD-114-6, for a modern carrier-based torpedo bomber. The objective was to replace the aging Douglas TBD "Destroyer" with an aircraft capable of carrying a crew of three, operating at altitudes up to 30,000 feet, and covering 1,000 miles with a war payload of about 1,500 lbs. The Grumman Avenger ultimately fulfilled these requirements, but the Douglas "VTB" was among the intriguing contenders.

The VTB design aimed to modernize the existing Destroyer, featuring a streamlined fuselage with wings concentrated on the sides. The three-person crew occupied a cockpit amidships, under a greenhouse-style canopy. The fuselage tapered towards the tail, equipped with a truncated vertical fin and low horizontal plane. The aircraft used a "Tail-Dragger" chassis with retractable main landing gear, and grappling hooks for carrier landings were considered standard.

Powered by a 1,600-horsepower Wright R-2600 "Twin Cyclone" radial engine, the VTB proposed a standard armament of 2 x 20mm autocannons on the wings and 2 x .30 cal or 0.50 cal machine guns in front of the pilot. Optional bombs or torpedoes could be housed in internal bomb bays. Despite a detailed design manual, the VTB did not progress beyond this stage. Instead, Grumman's Type 40, developed into the "Avenger," became a successful carrier-based dive bomber, with almost 10,000 units produced for wartime use.

Specification

BASICS

Year of Service: 1939

Origins: United States

Status: Cancel

Crew: 2

Production: 0

Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft Company - USA

Ground attack (bombing, strafing): The ability to conduct air strikes against ground targets using (but not limited to) artillery, bombs, rockets, rockets, etc.

X-Plane (development, prototyping, tech demos): Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Dimensions and Weight

Length: 38.2 feet (11.65m)

Width/span: 47. 1 ft (14.35m)

Height: 12.6 feet (3.85m)

Cured weight: 5,512 lbs (2,500 kg)

MTOW: 8,818 lbs (4,000 kg)

Wgt Difference: +3,307 lbs (+1,500kg)

Performance

Installed: 1 x Wright R-2600 "Twin Cyclone" air-cooled radial piston engine producing 1,600 hp and driving a three-bladed propeller unit in the nose.

Maximum speed: 239 km/h (385 km/h | 208 knots)

Maximum: 27,887 feet (8,500 m | 5 km)

Area: 621 km (1,000 km | 1,852 nautical miles)

Rate of climb: 1,750 ft/min (533 m/min)

Weapons

Recommended, Standard:

2 x .30 or .50 caliber machine guns, located in the upper part of the fuselage behind the engine fairing.

2 x 20mm automatic cannons (one per wing) are mounted in the wings.

Assumptions:

1 or 2 x .30 or .50 caliber machine guns in a rear-facing defensive position above the rear hull. Proposed option: Internally loaded bomb loads (conventional drop bombs or aerial torpedoes) total between 1,000 lbs and 2,000 lbs.