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The Douglas SBD Dauntless scout/dive-bomber became forever famous during the Battle of Midway, its’ proud accomplishments etched into United States military history. At the start of WWII, the Dauntless was the Navy and Marines' primary strike aircraft and it maintained this stature through the end of 1942. The SBD-3 design was updated to the SBD-5 which also played a valuable role in later battles. Three of the SBD-5's remain flyable today with many 3’s and 5’s in air museums. JMP has taken on the challenge to create the finest all composite warbird kit ever produced. The first two years of the project have resulted in the completion of the fuselage, cowling, canopy frames, clear glass, and stabilizer molds. Also, laser cutting and the necessary leading edge fiberglass parts for the elevators and rudder are complete. The wing molds are currently underway. Our model is designed at 30% scale with a wingspan of 150 inches, length of 114 inches, and a height of 34 inches. The wing area is 4300 square inches, with an estimated total model weight of 90 pounds. A 5-cylinder RCS 400cc radial engine will power the SBD. The 39" x 30" pitch 3-blade flying scale propeller is accurately shaped in profile and diameter, with an exact reproduction of the Hamilton Standard hub. The photo strip below shows some of the first completed parts and also some shots of the model. Note the left and right arrows for additional photos. We will update these as molds and parts are completed. On the updated photo strip we have added new shots of the MK-100 main gear and strut. The strut length shortens as the retraction cycle begins. As the gear extends, the strut lengthens after clearing the wing wheel wells.
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