The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, it first flew in 1935 and entered service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world. However, the fast pace of aircraft development caught up with it, and by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the TBD was already outdated. It performed well in some early battles, but in the Battle of Midway the Devastators launched against the Japanese fleet were almost totally wiped out. The type was immediately withdrawn from front line service, replaced by the Grumman TBF Avenger.
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| - The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, it first flew in 1935 and entered service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world. However, the fast pace of aircraft development caught up with it, and by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the TBD was already outdated. It performed well in some early battles, but in the Battle of Midway the Devastators launched against the Japanese fleet were almost totally wiped out. The type was immediately withdrawn from front line service, replaced by the Grumman TBF Avenger.
- The main production model of the series was the TBD-1 Devastator. It had a crew of three and a Pratt & Whitney R-1830-64 Engine that was capable of propelling it at speeds of up to 331 km/h. The armament of the TBD-1 consisted of one forward firing 7.62mm MG and a 7.62mm MG mounted in the gunner position. However, the forward facing MG could be switched if need be for a 12.7mm MG and an additional 7.62mm MG could be added to the gunner position to create a dual mount.
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| max takeoff weight alt
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| loaded weight main
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| max speed more
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| Guns
| - **1 × forward-firing 0.30 in (7.62 mm) or 0.50 (12.7 mm) machine gun
**1 × 0.30 in machine gun in rear cockpit
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| number of props
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| length alt
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| span main
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| Produced
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| cruise speed main
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| Introduced
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| primary user
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| Type
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| type of prop
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| range more
| - with Mk XIII Torpedo, 716 mi with 1,000 lb bombs
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| length main
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| power alt
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| area main
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| power main
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| bombs
| - **1 × Mark XIII torpedo or
**1 × 1,000 lb bomb or
**2 × 500 lb bombs or
**12 × 100 lb bombs
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| height main
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| span alt
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| range main
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| Manufacturer
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| max speed main
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| engine (prop)
| - Pratt & Whitney R-1830-64 Twin Wasp
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| climb rate alt
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| ceiling main
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| empty weight main
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| loaded weight alt
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| area alt
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| First Flight
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| max speed alt
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| jet or prop?
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| empty weight alt
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| plane or copter?
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| ceiling alt
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| max takeoff weight main
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| Retired
| - 1942(xsd:integer)
- 1944(xsd:integer)
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| Crew
| - Three: Pilot, Torpedo Officer/Navigator, Radioman/Gunner
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| Number Built
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| ref
| - Devastator...The Not-so-Devastating TBD-1
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| abstract
| - The main production model of the series was the TBD-1 Devastator. It had a crew of three and a Pratt & Whitney R-1830-64 Engine that was capable of propelling it at speeds of up to 331 km/h. The armament of the TBD-1 consisted of one forward firing 7.62mm MG and a 7.62mm MG mounted in the gunner position. However, the forward facing MG could be switched if need be for a 12.7mm MG and an additional 7.62mm MG could be added to the gunner position to create a dual mount. The TBD could also carry up to 453 kg of bombs or a single Mk XIII Torpedo. The total wingspan of the TBD was about 15 meters while the total length was about 10.6 meters. The total combat weight was about 2,800 kg. The service ceiling of the Devastator was approximately 5,943 meters and it could climb to altitude at a rate of 213 meters per minute. The TBD was restricted to a range of about 1,474 kilometers and it could not increase its range by adding drop tanks. The TBD was fairly durable and could take some damage, but one of its major trade-offs was that it was slow and was not very maneuverable. This made it easy prey for most enemy fighters. If not properly protected with a fighter escort, TBD squadrons were almost doomed if they should encounter any Japanese aircraft. This did not bode well with pilots.
- The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, it first flew in 1935 and entered service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world. However, the fast pace of aircraft development caught up with it, and by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the TBD was already outdated. It performed well in some early battles, but in the Battle of Midway the Devastators launched against the Japanese fleet were almost totally wiped out. The type was immediately withdrawn from front line service, replaced by the Grumman TBF Avenger.
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