SB2U-3

SB2U-3

SB2U-2

TBF-1C

SB2U-3

SB2U-2

TBF-1C

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.7	1.7	1.7

Class:

Bomber

Dive bomber

Naval aircraft

Research:2 000

Purchase:2 100

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This page is about the aircraft SB2U-3. For other uses, see SB2 (Disambiguation).

Description

The SB2U-3 is a rank I American dive bomber with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance".

The SB2U was developed in the early 1930s and although considered obsolete at the outbreak of World War II, it still remained in service through the Battle of Midway, however in 1943 it was withdrawn into training units and replaced by more advanced aircraft. This aircraft featured a constant-speed propeller which was intended to be utilized as a dive brake while performing dive bombing attack maneuvers. There were three hard points for bombs to be attached, one 250 lb bomb under each wing and a single 500 or 1,000 lb bomb mounted onto a pylon under the fuselage. The larger bomb was also attached to what was called a "trapeze", a device which would when the bomb was released, swing the bomb clear of the propeller arc.

General info

Flight Performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 4,084 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
338	329	6,800	23.6	24.5	3.7	4.5	300
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 4,084 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
383	360	6,800	20.4	22.0	9.7	6.2	300

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	✓	✓	✓

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
740	740	N/A	~??	~?

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 300	< 350	< 320	> 299

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,895 m	750 hp	825 hp

Survivability and armour

• 3 mm Steel boxes behind the gunner.
• No armour glazing
• Critical components located at front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)
• One fuel tank in the fuselage

Armaments

Offensive armament

The SB2U-3 is armed with:

• 4 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, wing-mounted (400 rpg = 1,600 total)

Suspended armament

The SB2U-3 can be outfitted with the following ordinance:

• 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb + 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (700 lb total)
• 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb + 2 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (1,000 lb total)
• 1 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb (1,000 lb total)

Defensive armament

The SB2U-3 is defended by:

• 1 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, rear turret (315 rpg = 315 total)

Usage in battles

The SB2U-3 is a carrier based dive bomber. This aircraft is a fairly slow aircraft, but sturdy. Built as a dive-bomber, it excels at diving down above a target to release its bombs. The SB2U is one of the only early aircraft in War Thunder which features dive flaps (h) to aid in retarding the build up of speed during a dive, helping prevent ripping off of wings in RB and SB. Wing mounted machine guns allow for this aircraft to strafe softer ground or water targets while waiting for bombs to reload (AB). Rear facing dorsal gunner helps to ward off enemy attackers, however it is not a game changer for this aircraft.

The SB2U is a slow aircraft which leads it to having two options, first is to hug the terrain. While flying to your target of choice (AAA sites, AA Vehicles or bases), fly along the terrain, utilize what hills and valleys there are to fly through. Time on target may be limited before the enemy gets there so line up your bombing run and drop bombs. This aircraft can maneuver fairly well, utilizing elevator and rudder controls, you can quickly flip this aircraft around and return to ground attacking targets you just flew over.

The second option will be to gain altitude. Going too high will render your bombs ineffective. The idea here is to gain several thousand feet, fly towards your target of choice and then dive on it. During your dive, your aircraft will build up speed, to prevent too much speed build up and control stiffening, reduce your throttle and engage dive brakes (h). This will allow you a controlled descent and the ability to line up your target easier, the unfortunate down side is that now you are slowly moving in a straight line, easy target for enemy fighters. Once you swoop on your target and release your bombs, engage full throttle and retract dive brakes.

While this aircraft is slow, it can be utilized to attack fighters if in a pinch. The maneuverability of this aircraft along with its slow speed can aid in forcing an attacking enemy to overshoot or underestimate the capabilities of this aircraft.

The rear-facing dorsal gunner does not deter much, don’t rely on him to clear your tail of trailing aircraft. Enemy fighters will assume this aircraft to be an easy target due to its size and slow speed.

The SB2U is a slow aircraft, however it is maneuverable. Due to the large surface area of the wings and rudder, it can make quick reversals through wing-overs causing faster fighters to overshoot. The rear-gunner does not pack much of a punch, however coming at this aircraft from the underside will avoid any offensive/defensive weapons allowing for time to line up a shot. Aim for critical areas of the aircraft (engine, pilot, fuel…) as the body of the aircraft can soak up a good amount of damage.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable No automatic pitch	Controllable	Controllable	Separate	Not controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm	FSBC mk.5
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs
III	Wings Repair	Engine		Turret 12 mm	FLBC mk.1
IV		Engine Injection	Cover	New 12 mm MGs (turret)

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Maneuverable
• Dual role dive bomber/attacker
• Good diver

Cons:

• Large target
• Slow speed
• Weak defensive weapons
• Small payload

History

The mid-1930s was an exciting time of military aircraft development. As is with technological changes, designers, developers and engineers look for ways to eke out as much power, speed or even damage infliction as possible. Aircraft which imbue the best of these qualities are typically the ones which get contracts with the military.

The United States Navy was continuously looking to upgrade its fleet of aircraft and in 1934 sought to receive proposals for a new scout bomber designed for carrier usage. This scout bomber requirement was unique for the time as the request came in two parts, the aircraft manufactures had the choice to submit either a monoplane or biplane option. Six manufactures competed in the proposal, and Vought was the only manufacturer which submitted a prospective aircraft in each category. At the time, monoplanes were still relatively new while biplanes had a known track record. Vought favoured the monoplane design, however, concluded that providing a submission in each category allowed them to be competitive no matter the category the Navy selected. Of the six companies submissions, four of them won contracts with the U.S. Navy and Vought's monoplane XSB2U-1 was one of them.

The SB2U-1 was a conventional low-wing monoplane of the mid-1930s. The fuselage construction consisted of steel tubes which had aluminium panels covering the aircraft from the engine cowling to the rear cockpit where the tail gunner sat. A majority of the rear portion of the fuselage utilised fabric covering. The wings were all metal and could fold up for storage on the aircraft carriers when not in use, accommodating more aircraft. This aircraft was a two-crew aircraft needing only a pilot and tail-gunner who could also operate as a spotter. The aircraft sported a Pratt & Whitney R-1535-2 Twin-Wasp Junior radial engine which worked in conjunction with a two-bladed constant-speed propeller. The intent was to have the propeller work as a dive brake during diving attack runs. However, this proved to be less effective, and pilots tended to lower the landing gear, which provided more drag which they needed. The aircraft utilised a swinging trapeze under the fuselage of the aircraft to sling a bomb during a diving attack to ensure it would clear the propeller arc. Pilots found that the best practice for dropping the 1,000 lb bombs was to dive at a shallower angle to ensure proper speed and clearance when dropping the large bomb. Smaller bombs could be mounted under the wings to allow for an additional 500 lbs.

In 1938, the U.S. Navy submitted an order to add to their growing collection of SB2Us and requested 58 SB2U-2 scout bombers which were a slightly modified version of the SB2U-1. There were no physical differences; however, there were minor changes in the equipment installed on the aircraft.

Later in 1939, the United States Marine Corps placed an order for SB2U-3 aircraft. Their needs were a little different than the Navy's needs, so their aircraft required upgrades. Intended to be a long-range scout bomber, this version of the aircraft was outfitted with integral wing fuel tanks to allow for farther range and had the aircraft's tail increased in size to increase aircraft manoeuvrability when using the rudder. A total of 57 SB2U-3 Vindicators were built, and many saw combat in the Battle of Midway.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
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