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[Type83Fighter]

Early service use of the Douglas SBD Dauntless had convinced the US Navy of its capability as a dive-bomber: its later wartime record, in such actions as the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942) and the Battle of Midway (June 1942), merely provided confirmation. Long before that date, however, the US Navy had initiated the procurement of a more advanced dive-bomber.

On 20 June 1941, the United States Navy placed an order with the Douglas Aircraft Company for two prototypes of a new dive bomber to replace both the Douglas SBD Dauntless and the new Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, designated XSB2D-1. The resulting aircraft, was a large single-engined mid-winged monoplane. It had a laminar flow gull-wing, and unusually for a carrier-based aircraft of the time, a tricycle undercarriage.

It was fitted with a bomb bay and underwing racks for up to 4,200 lb (1,900 kg), while defensive armament consisted of two wing-mounted 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon.

The prototype first flew on 8 April 1943, demonstrating excellent performance, being much faster and carrying nearly double the bombload of the Helldiver, and orders for 358 SB2D-1s quickly followed. The U.S. Navy changed its requirements, however, wanting single-seat carrier-based torpedo/dive bombers without defensive turrets, and Douglas reworked the SB2D by removing the turrets and second crewman, while adding more fuel and armor, producing the BTD-1 Destroyer. The orders for SB2Ds were converted to BTD-1s, with the first BTD flying on 5 March 1944


Specification   
 MODEL   BTD-1
 CREW       1
 ENGINE   1 x Wright R-3350-14 Cyclone 18 radial piston engine, 1715kW
 WEIGHTS
    Take-off weight   8618 kg   19000 lb
    Empty weight   5244 kg   11561 lb
 DIMENSIONS
    Wingspan   13.72 m   45 ft 0 in
    Length   11.76 m   39 ft 7 in
    Height   5.05 m   17 ft 7 in
    Wing area   34.65 m2   372.97 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
    Max. speed   554 km/h   344 mph
    Ceiling   7195 m   23600 ft
    Range   2382 km   1480 miles
 ARMAMENT   2 x 20mm cannon, one torpedo or 1450kg of bombs

[Epervier]

The first production BTD-1s were completed in June 1944. By the time Japan surrendered in August 1945, only 28 aircraft had been delivered, and production was cancelled, along with other aircraft types that had been designed from the start as single-seaters, such as the Martin AM Mauler. None saw combat action. In any event, Heinemann and his team were already working on developing the single-seat BT2D that became the Douglas A-1 Skyraider.

[Uzin]

I am curious what construction philosophy was behind using gull-wings, both at divers like this one and Ju-87, in comparison with e.g. Corsair. Especially from the point of view of center of lift as compared with center of gravity. Perhaps is here any expert who can explain the matter?

[Shakaali]

Inverted gull-wings were mostly used to allow shorter and stronger landing gear.

Also, as the wings were slightly longer they allowed more wing mounting locations for ordnance.

[SAS~GJE52]

As Shakaai pointed out the correct term is "Inverted Gull Wing. The original "Gull Wing" itself is inherently dangerous in a stall condition.

The inverted gull wing was developed in the 1930s and was used to obtain greater ground clearance on single engine military aircraft which had increasing more powerful engines, as this required larger diameter propellers. Shorter landing gear legs are less bulky, and stronger than their longer equivalents. The inverted gull wing allowed the landing gear to retract rearwards, improving internal wing space. An additional aerodynamic advantage was that the wing/fuselage connection is perpendicular and has inherently lower drag than any other connection.

Once consequence of an inverted gull wing is that it provides for greater clearance under the fuselage for large external stores.

G;

[NobleNerd]

Well, I'm about 6 years late, but everything's already here in this thread, so I figured I'd pitch in. 

I'd love to see both the SB2D and the BTD. These, along with the AM Mauler and later BT2D Skyraider, would be perfect for the US Navy's '46 lineup in WAW (especially in my own scenario where the "big part" of the war starts in '46 with everyone ganging up on the USSR, CCP, and Viet Minh).