The Douglas SBD Dauntless took its #firstflight on May 1, 1940. The aircraft then went on to play a starring role in the war in the Pacific during WWII. The diving Dauntless saw action at Pearl Harbor – flying from the USS Enterprise, but are best known as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to Japanese carrier at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. In total, the Dauntless sank more enemy ships than any other Allied bomber, destroying 18 enemy warships, including a battleship and six carrie

Twin flypasts straight over the camera followed by landings from two absolute legends of WWII aviation. An original Mitsubishi A6M Zero, still powered by its Nakajima Sakae radial, alongside a Douglas SBD Dauntless running the unmistakable Wright R-1820 Cyclone. This is pure mechanical history — raw radial engine sound, low passes, and the kind of atmosphere you just don’t get anymore. Aircraft that once faced each other in combat, now flying together, sounding incredible, and reminding us how d

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was one of the most important aircraft in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Designed as a carrier-based scout and dive bomber, the SBD served primarily in the Pacific Theater and earned a reputation for precision, reliability, and effectiveness. #ww2 #aviation #military #aviationlovers | The War Rooms