Fagen Fighters WWII Museum today announced the latest addition to its collection—an airworthy 1942 Douglas SBD Dauntless A-24B, recently acquired from the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, Texas. This historic aircraft, which earned the Reserve Grand Champion award at Oshkosh in 1997 along with the prestigious Golden Wrench for its immaculate restoration, remains in flying condition. Following its annual inspection, the aircraft will take to the skies this spring, making its way to its new permanent home at Fagen Fighters WWII Museum in Granite Falls, Minnesota.
The SBD will join Fagen Fighters’ growing collection of Navy aircraft, which includes an SB2C Helldiver, F6F Hellcat, FM-2 Wildcat, and an SNJ.
Originally manufactured by Douglas Aircraft in 1942 as an A-24B, this aircraft was later transferred to the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (Mexican Air Force). After completing its military service, it was sold to a Mexican aerial photography company. In 1972, the aircraft found its way to the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas, where it remained on static display until 1994, when it was acquired by the Lone Star Flight Museum. Following an extensive in-house restoration that required 12,000 labor hours, the aircraft was returned to flying condition in June 1997, restored in the markings of the more common naval variant, the SBD Dauntless. Today, it remains one of only a handful of airworthy A-24B/SBD-5 aircraft in existence, out of the 3,640 originally built (2,965 for the U.S. Navy and 675 for the U.S. Army Air Forces).
The SBD (Scout Bomber Douglas) Dauntless was derived from the Northrop BT-2 design of 1935. After Northrop became a subsidiary of Douglas, the aircraft was rebranded under the Douglas designation. On April 8, 1938, the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy placed initial orders for the SBD-1 and SBD-2, respectively, with both models entering service by late 1940. The SBD-3, introduced in March 1941, featured protective armor and a more powerful engine. Its armament included two forward-facing .50-inch machine guns mounted on the engine cowling, along with twin .30-inch machine guns operated by a rear gunner for defensive fire. The U.S. Army Air Corps also recognized the aircraft’s potential, placing orders for its own variant, designated as the A-24 and nicknamed the “Banshee.” This was soon followed by the SBD-5 (A-24B), which boasted an upgraded engine.
The Dauntless gained fame during World War II for its decisive role in the Pacific Theater. As the U.S. Navy’s standard carrier-based dive bomber, it operated from carriers such as Lexington, Enterprise, Yorktown, and Saratoga. It first engaged the Japanese fleet during the Battle of the Coral Sea and played a pivotal role a month later at the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942. SBD squadrons delivered crippling blows to the Japanese carriers Akagi, Kaga, and Hiryu, a turning point in the war. Additionally, SBDs saw action in the Atlantic, supporting Operation Torch in North Africa with strikes from the aircraft carrier Ranger against German and Vichy French forces.
Beyond American forces, the Dauntless was also operated by Mexico, New Zealand, and the Free French. French units even deployed SBDs from aircraft carriers in Indo-China. By the time production ceased in July 1944, a total of 5,936 SBD/A-24 aircraft had been built.
Today, only a few airworthy examples of the Douglas SBD Dauntless and its Army counterpart, the A-24 Banshee, remain. Notable survivors include an A-24A (42-60817) at the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon, and an A-24B (42-54682) at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, Texas. Among the SBD-4 models, aircraft with serial numbers 10518 and 10694 are preserved at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California, and the National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs, Colorado, respectively. Two SBD-5s also remain airworthy—serial number 28536 at Planes of Fame in Chino, California, and serial number 54532, operated by the Commemorative Air Force – Airbase Georgia in Peachtree City, Georgia.
With its acquisition of this beautifully restored SBD Dauntless, Fagen Fighters WWII Museum continues its mission to preserve and honor the legacy of the aircraft and those who flew them during World War II. Aviation enthusiasts and historians alike can look forward to seeing this rare warbird take to the skies once again. For more information, visit www.fagenfighterswwiimuseum.org
