As an astute professional, he recognized that naval fighters were inherently defensive while bombers were offensive. In the spring of 1940 Best was ready to return to the fleet, and he surprised colleagues by requesting dive bombers. As he recalled, “The best way to learn a subject is to teach it, and that’s what I tried to do.” He chose the latter, and used the time well. Īfter 2½ years aboard “Lex,” Best was offered patrol planes or instructing at Pensacola. For the next two years Best flew Grumman F3F biplanes from USS Lexington. An excellent student, he pinned on his golden wings in December 1935.īest’s Pensacola grades earned him the most prestigious seat possible: Fighting Squadron 2, the “Flying Chiefs.” Staffed largely with noncommissioned pilots, VF-2 was widely regarded as the most professional unit in naval aviation. Enamored of aviation, Ensign Best served the obligatory two years at sea before beginning flight training in Pensacola, Fla. Naval Academy from his native New Jersey, Best graduated in the class of 1932. But he spent a decade en route to his rendezvous with destiny at the Battle of Midway.Īppointed to the U.S. In the age of industrial warfare, individual combatants seldom make a difference in a battle’s outcome. Three planes, one purpose-our SBD fulfills our mission.Best Dive Bomber: How One Man Helped Change the Pacific War's Course Close The SBD Dauntless hoisted in a dramatic dive pose outside of the Battle of Midway Theater. ![]() Our SBD Dauntless in restoration at Midway’s Airwing, Hangar 805.Īfter a thorough overhaul at our Hangar 805 and a 1942 paint scheme, the Dauntless was barged across from North Island and craned aboard the forward flight deck to a warm welcome on May 29, 2007.įor the next seven years our SBD graced the aft hangar bay before she was specially fitted with a suspension rig and hoisted in a dramatic dive pose just outside the entrance to our Battle of Midway Theatre, which opened in 2015. The aft fuselage and tail are from a late production SBD-6, the wing and forward fuselage are of an SBD-5, and then are bolted on the engine compartment and cowling of an SBD-3 to complete our favorite dive bomber. Pieces of the Dauntless arrive to Midway’s Airwing, Hangar 805.įor years, this latter-day Swoose Goose was on display at the MAPS Museum in Ohio. The Midway Museum is proud to include a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber in her air wing, but did you know our example is really three planes? Although more than 5,000 SBDs were built during the 1940s, there are so few remaining it was necessary to bring elements of different airframes together to make a whole aircraft. ![]() ![]() One is the Wildcat, and the second? None other than the Douglas SBD Dauntless! Have you visited the USS Midway Museum in the last year and half? Well if so you may have noticed two aircraft suspended in the air to the right of the Museum entrance. To see me share a dozen model aircraft from my collection in a Facebook LIVE video, click this link! Entering the USS Midway Museum ![]() My set-up is typically nestled in between two of Midway’s suspended aircraft in the Hangar Bay- learn more about one of these planes below! Hi everyone, thank you for joining me for another Karl’s Korner!Īs part of Midway’s annual Legacy Week commemoration during Memorial Day weekend, I set up some model aircrafts from my collection to share with guests.
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