Summary PBY Catalina served from the US to Brazil, with over 3,300 produced worldwide. SBD Dauntless earned its title as a main carrier-based dive bomber. Grumman Wildcat claimed 1,006 enemy aircraft and 58 aces, with nearly 8,000 produced.
There is a list of carrier-based aircraft that the US Navy and Marine Corps used during World War II . Of those, many are prominent due to their combat capabilities, ease of use, and popularity among pilots. This article explores some of the finest US carrier-based aircraft of the Second World War.
5 Consolidated PBY Catalina Number of aircraft built: 3,308 Maximum speed : 196 mph (315 km/h, 170 kn) Range : 2,520 mi (4,060 km, 2,190 NM) Powerplant : 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines Power per engine : 1,200 horsepower (890 kW) The PBY Catalina, a flying boat and amphibious aircraft was designed and manufactured by Consolidated Aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. The aircraft performed its first flight in March 1935 and entered service with the US Navy in October 1936. Catalina has the distinction of serving every US military branch, including the Armed Forces and the Air Force.
The PBY Catalina became one of the most widely used seaplanes of the Second World War. The type saw its last military action in 1982 with the Brazilian Air Force. Between 1936 and 1945, over 3,308 examples of the PBY Catalina were produced in the US, Canada, and the Soviet Union.
The Florida-based manufacturer is set to revive its iconic amphibious aircraft. 4 Douglas SBD Dauntless Number of aircraft built: 5,936 Maximum speed : 255 mph (410 km/h, 222 kn) at 14,000 ft (4,300 m) Range : 1,115 mi (1,794 km, 969 NM) Powerplant : 1 × Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine Engine power : 1,200 horsepower (890 kW) The Douglas SBD (Scout Bomber Douglas) Dauntless is a naval scout aircraft and dive bomber designed and manufactured by Douglas aircraft in the late 1930s. The aircraft performed its first flight in May 1940 and entered service with the US Navy (USN) in the same year.
The SBD was the Navy's main carrier-based dive bomber during World War II, taking part in massive blows to the Japanese carriers during the Battle of Midway. The aircraft’s combat performance earned it the title “Slow But Deadly,” based on its initials, during the Second World War. Nearly 6,000 examples of the SBD Douglas were produced between 1940 and 1944.
The "Slow But Deadly" Dauntless wasn't just the most effective US dive-bomber of WW2. It was an outright game-changer 3 Grumman F4F Wildcat Number of aircraft built: 7,885 Maximum speed : 331 mph (533 km/h, 288 kn) Range : 845 mi (1,360 km, 734 NM) Powerplant : 1x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-76 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine Engine power : 1,200 horsepower (890 kW) The Grumman F4F Wildcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft that primarily served in the Pacific Theater during the initial years of World War II. The aircraft performed its first flight in September 1937 and entered service with the US Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940.
The Grumman Wildcat was credited with a kill-to-loss ratio of 6:1 in 1942, 9:1 over the Japanese, and 7:1 for the entire Second World War. The rugged and heavily armed fighter became the premier aircraft for the Navy and the Marine Corps until 1942. The US Navy states that at the end of the war, the type had claimed 1,006 enemy aircraft and listed 58 aces among its pilots.
Nearly 8,000 examples of the Grumman Wildcat were produced between 1938 and 1943. While the British and Japanese boasted carrier-based aircraft that distinguished themselves early on, American aircraft dominated the later war. 2 Grumman TBF Avenger Number of aircraft built: 9,839 Maximum speed : 278 mph (447 km/h, 242 kn) Range : 905 mi (1,456 km, 786 NM) at cruise speed Powerplant : 1 × Wright R-2600-8 Twin Cyclone14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine Engine power : 1,700 horsepower (1,300 kW) The Grumman TBF Avenger, a single-engine bomber, had a rather unpromising start at the Battle of Midway when five out of six TBF Avengers were shot down and the last surviving was severely damaged.
However, in the years following that, the aircraft gained its reputation, particularly during Pearl Harbor attacks, when it inflicted devastating damage to the Japanese fleet. According to the US Navy , “Operating from land, the aircraft attacked the Japanese fleet but were mauled by enemy fighters. Five were shot down, and the surviving aircraft was badly damaged with one crew member dead and one wounded.
The heavily damaged TBF-1 provided valuable information that would be the source of improvements to its combat survivability.” Nearly 10,000 examples of the TBM Avenger were produced between 1941 and 1948. Following their success in WWII, the USN used aircraft carriers to project American power around the globe.
1 Chance Vought F4U Corsair Number of aircraft built: 12,571 Maximum speed : 446 mph (717 km/h, 385 kn) Range : 1,005 mi (1,617 km, 873 NM) Powered : 1x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial engine Engine power : 2,380 horsepower (1,770 kW) Known for its massive 13-foot propeller, the Vought F4U Corsair was designed as a result of an urgent need for an attack aircraft for fighter squadrons in the early 1940s. After its maiden flight in May 1940, manufacturer Chance Vought produced it in large numbers to be utilized as a carrier-based combat aircraft during WWII. According to The National WWII Museum , “The F4U Corsair entered combat in 1943, and gave Allied naval aviators a winning edge against their opponents.
Renowned for its speed, ruggedness, and firepower, the Corsair excelled as both a fighter and an attack aircraft in support of ground forces. The F4U-4, with its more powerful engine, was the last Corsair variant to see service during World War II.” Nearly 13,000 examples of the Corsair were produced between 1941 and 1953.
During WWII, the USMC flew the Chance-Vought F4U Corsair from land bases in the South Pacific..
