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Douglas XBT2D/AD Dauntless II/Skyraider 

The Douglas XBT2D Dauntless II was a prototype design for a large, single seat, carrier-capable naval dive bomber/torpedo bomber designed in the second half of WWII.  It took its first flight on 18 March 1945, and would be further developed into the AD (later A-1) Skyraider that would serve with the US Navy and US Air Force through to the end of the Vietnam War.  The XBT2B was a prototype aircraft and the AD-7 was the final variant of this type aircraft produced, and was redesiganted the A-1J in 1962.

Per Reference [8] a total of 3,180 AD/A-1 aircraft would be built between 1945 and 1957, including some configured as Airborne Early Warning (EAW) aircraft, with a large belly mounted radar and radome.  AD/A-1 aircraft would serve not only with the US Navy and US Airforce but also the UK, France, Sweden, South Vietnam, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Chad and Gabon.  

As shown in the images below distinguishing features of this aircraft including;
XBT2D-AD-7
[Image Sources: Image 1 - US Government/Public Domain via Ref [8] - as annotated by this site
Image 2 - US Government/Public Domian via Ref [9] - as annotated by this site]

XBT2D-1_3-viewAD-4_3-view
                          [Source: Ref [4] - Public Domain]

In order to try and better develop weight estimating relationships an effort has been made to estimate the length of the fuselage aft of the firewall, and the length of the engine section forward of the firewall based off scaled drawings.  Together these two distances add to a term called the "structural length" and do not consider any portion of the engine or propeller shaft the extend foward of the fuselage/cowling, or any empennage that extends aft of the fuselage structure.  The drawing below shows the current best estimate of these dimensions obtained from available drawings of the airplane and will be updated with any real world data that becomes available.  For any aircraft with an inclined firewall, an attempt has been made to locate an approximate center of this location.

XBT2D-Dims

                                                                      Source References [2] [8] & [16]

AD7 Dims

                                                                      Source Reference [2] [8] & [16]

In the above images, dimensions in Black come from the source material while dimesions in Red have been approximated from the data available.

The table below summarizes the current data collected on this type aircraft, identifying sources for the data

    AD-7 XBT2D-1 Secondary Sources  Notes
Primary Source   2 2  
No of Crew   1 1

Engine:  
 

   Qty   1 1 8
   Model   R-3350-26W R-3350-24W 8
   Displacement  (cu in) 3350 3350 8
   Power  
 

     Military (HP)
 

     War Emergency (HP)
 

    Normal (HP) 2300 2100 8
    Take Off (HP) 2700 2500 8
   Eng Dims  
 

     Length (ft) 6.72 6.72 8
     Width/Dia (ft) 4.51 4.51 8
     Height (ft)
 

   Base Engine Wt (lb) 2822 2822 8
Propeller  
 

   # Blades   4 4

   Dia (ft) 13.5 13.5

   Manufacturer  
 

   Type  
 

Wing  
 

   Span (ft) 50 50

   Root Thickness (%) 17.2% 17.2%

  (in) 22.1 22.1

   Total Area  (sq ft) 400 400

     Wing (less Ailerons & Flaps) (sq ft)
 

     Ailerons (sq ft)
 

     Flaps (sq ft)
 

Tail Area (sq ft)
 

   V Tail Area (sq ft)
 

     Fin (sq ft)
 

     Rudder (sq ft)
 

   H Tail Area (sq ft)
 

     Stabilizer (sq ft)
 

     Elevator (sq ft)
 

Total Control Surf Area (sq ft)
 

Length  
 

   Overall (ft) 39.17 39.67

   Fuselage (ft) 34.8 34.1

   Body  (ft)
 

     Body Depth (ft)
 

    Body Width (ft)
 

Fuel Tank Volume (gal)
 

   Wing Tanks (gal)
 

    FuselageTanks (gal)
 

Oil Tank Volume (gal)
 

Water Injection Fluid Tank Volume (gal)
 

Wetted Area (sqf) (sq ft)
 

Pwr Ldng (lb/HP) 6.64 6.13

Wing Ldng (lb/sq ft) 44.82 38.32

Struct. Des. GW  (lb) 15595 15600

Ultimate Load Factor (G's) 10.5 10.5

Design Speed (mph) 500 500

Not to Exceed Speed (mph)
 

       

Total Struct Weight   5641 4746  
   Total Wing   2589 2011

     Wing        
     Ailerons        
     Flaps        
     Fuselage Carry-Through        
   Tail   484 504

     H Tail   342 367  
       Stabilizer        
       Elevator        
     V Tail   142 137  
       Fin        
       Rudder        
   Body + Eng Section + LG  
 

   Body + LG   2421 2162

   Body   1510 1218

     Fuselage        
     Engine Section        
   Landing Gear   911 944

     Mn Landing Gr   800 845  
     Tail/Nose Aux LG   111 99  
   Tail Hook   147 69

   Booms  
 

   Nacelles        
Total Propulsion Weight   4173 3996  
   Engine w/ Accessories   3072 2921

   Engine(s) as Installed   2949 2812  
     Accessories   123 109  
    Turbocharger(s)  
 

   Controls   11 42

   Propeller(s)   543 510

     2-Blade        
     3-Blade        
     4-Blade   543 510  
   Starting System   41 44

   Water Injection System   29 32

     Tanks        
     Piping Etc        
   Cooling System  
 

   Lube System   135 123

     Tanks        
     Piping Etc        
   Fuel System   342 324

     Tanks        
     Piping Etc        
Total Sys. & Eqpmt.   2258 1417  
   Instruments   152 45

   Surface Controls    387 303

   Hydraulics   140 144

   Electrical Equip   441 207

Electronics (Purple means incl in Furn/Gray in Useful Ld)   393 292

   Arm Prov/Equipment & Armor   587 363

    Furnishings   144 55

   Anti-Ice (If not in Furn)   14 8

   Other /Misc  
 

     Hoisting Gear  
 

     Floatation Gear  
 

     Armor Plate        
       

Empty Wt   12072 10159  
Basic Mission Useful Load   5857 5168 0
   Crew   200 200

   Equipment  
 

   Oil   251 210

   Fuel   2280 2100

   Fuel & Oil Trapped in Systems  
 

   Water Solution for Engine Injection  
 

   Bombs/Torp Etc   2000 2000

   Radio (if Not Included in Empty Wt)  
 

   Nav Equipment  
 

   Oxygen System  



   Armament   976 508

     Guns & Ammo   976 508  
       Guns   480 240  
       Ammo   496 268  
     Pyrotechnics        
     Camera        
     Other        
   Other Useful Load   150 150

Basic Mission GW   17929 15327


Notes: This website has been developed with a number of low cost or free programs including Hot Metal Pro, KompoZer, MicroSoft Designer and Da Button Factory.com

Rev 4-12-26

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