BtC 3.1 - In Defense of the Worst Aircraft of WW2

Hey all,

For our next video we will tackle the request of viewer and Patreon mensch1066. He has asked me to go into some detail on the TBD-1 Devastator, a plane that has gotten a relatively bad reputation following its performance in 1941-1942. 

One of the main challenges was finding something concrete on the Devastator. While I have enough sources on its deployment, I had little on the actual aircraft. My search for a pilot manual ended fruitless. Usually for American aircraft, you can find these easily once you know where to look but the Devastator proved to be an outlier. Luckily, some companies do offer reprints at a price. This is where your support on Patreon makes a direct impact!

Here's a quick rundown of its history: 

With the TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bomber, the Douglas Aircraft Company propelled US naval aviation into a new age. As the first monoplane assigned to Americas carrier fleets, it took center stage as a modern, forward-looking design.

Introduced into the fleet in 1937, the Devastator became victim to the rapid technological advances made during the late 1930s. Although it drew favorable comments from pilots, by the time of Pearl Harbor it was beginning to show its age.  Limited performance and defensive firepower left it at the mercy of Japanese fighter aircraft and AA, but uncoordinated strikes without escorts proved equally at fault for the high casualty ratio experienced by VT squadrons. 

The TBD-1 soldiered on until the Battle of Midway, 1942, where their attack drew Japanese attention away from USN dive-bombers, helping America secure a decisive victory. Only six Devastators returned out of a force of 41. Following introduction of the TBF-Avenger torpedo bomber, the US withdrew the Devastator from frontline service. 

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The TBD Devastator is one of my personal favourite case studies of inter-war planes as it is just behind the 'cusp' in performance and design. Being a compact revolution when introduced (first US monoplane carrier aircraft) with many nifty design features, in the end it seems like what is remembered more is its 'disaster' at Midway.

My aim with this video will be as always to give you guysall the data you need to judge for yourself. After all, there is always more to a plane than popular memory. 

o7
Bis