The SB2U was this company's first low-wing monoplane and, like the earlier SBU, was a scout/bomber. Night-flying and deck-landing arrester gear were provided. Power for the initial production version was a Pratt & Whitney R-1535-96 radial engine. The generally similar SB2U-2 version was followed by the SB2U-3, which also formed the basis for the V-156 export model; some of these were delivered to France and the remainder of the order to Britain as the Chesapeake. Unfortunately the Vindicator was not as successful as Vought's earlier biplanes and was soon relegated to a training role.
Vought SB2U Vindicator on YOUTUBE
Specification
MODEL
SB2U-3
ENGINE
1 x Pratt-Whitney R-1535-02 Twin Wasp Junior, 615kW
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight
4273 kg
9420 lb
Empty weight
2556 kg
5635 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan
12.8 m
42 ft 0 in
Length
10.36 m
34 ft 0 in
Height
3.12 m
10 ft 3 in
Wing area
28.33 m2
304.94 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed
390 km/h
242 mph
Ceiling
7195 m
23600 ft
Range
1800 km
1118 miles
ARMAMENT
2 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 450kg of bombs
3-View
A three-view drawing (1426 x 1140)
Comments
Barry, 31.10.2012 14:24
260 built the last one surviving at the Naval Air Museum at Pensacola. It really is staggering how authorities everywhere are happy to take on junk like this!
I have pictures of the V156 demonstrator sent to the Paris air show. Does anyone have a colored photo of this aircraft? I want to build a model of it and would like the color scheme
We had these in VMSB-131, from about mid 1941 until we left fo the Southwest Pacific in about September of 1942 They were fine for long ange flying, but not suitable for combat, they were replaced with SBD's and shortly with TBF's 131 becoming the first Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron in the Maruine Corps.
