The Brewster SB2A-4 "Buccaneer"
Scout/Dive Bomber
Watch the World War II pilot training film used to familiarize Navy & Marine pilots with the Brewster SB2A
-Flying the SB2a Buccaneer
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Was the Buccaneer really "one of the worst aircraft of World War II?" See the video and judge for yourself!

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The Buccaneer
Though this training film goes out of it's way to sing the Buccaneers praises, her flaws are all too obvious if you watch and listen carefully.
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The Buccaneer is a prime example of how a design that looked good on paper in 1939 can be woefully lacking by 1941. Between the drawing board and the production line, the SB2A put on substantial additional weight that overwhelmed her 1,700 horse power engine and out dated air frame, resulting in a ship that proved to be slow and sluggish, with unpleasant handling qwerks. Though many other stats appear comparable to the Grumman TBF on paper, her inferior wing area, bomb load, and real world performance put her way behind the Avenger.
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The initial delivery of SB-2A- 2s & 3s were quickly relegated to training duties. 162 non folding wing Buccaneers ordered by the Dutch were taken over by the Navy, christened the "SB2A-4," and used by the Marines as trainers for the first two years of the War. (That is the version featured in this film. Perhaps the high point of the Buccaneers service for the Navy was there use in the Marines first Night Fighter squadron, VMF(N) 5-31.
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The British ordered the SB2A under Lend Lease as the "Bermuda," and quickly came to the same conclusion about her as the Americans, Most were quickly relegated to such duties as target tug towing, although there is a report that they were used with some success as a level bomber in the plane starved India-Burma campaign.
Type

Two seat land & carrier based scout-bomber

Power Plant

One 1,700-hp (1268-kW) Wright R-2600-8 Cyclone 14-cylinder two row radial

Performance

Maximum Speed: 274 mph (441 km/h) @ 12,000' (3660m) long range cruise 161 mph (259 km/h)

Range on internal fuel tanks w/o bombs 1,675 miles (2696 km)

Service Ceiling: 24,900 ft. (7590 m)

Weights:

Empty: 9,924 lb (4501 kg)

Max. Takeoff: 14,289 (6481 kg)
Dimensions

Span: 47 ft 0in. (14.33 m)

Length: 39 ft 2 in. (11.94 m)

Height: 15 ft. 5 in (4.7 m)

Wing Area: 379 sq. ft .(35.21 m2)

Armament (SB2A)

2 X 0.5 in. (12.7mm) fuselage mounted machine guns and 6X 0.3 in. ( 7.62 mm) wing mounted machine guns firing forward, 2X .3 in. ( 7.62 mm ) machine guns firing aft

Bomb Load

Internal bay: Up to 1,000 lbs (454 kg) of bombs
Black Cat PBYs
You can order a full screen copy of Flying the SB2A plus
* Black Cat PBY
* Torpedo Attack!
* How to Fly the Navy Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo plane
* Deploying Aerial Mines
* Introduction to Dive Bombing
* 66 page Douglass SBD3 Dauntless dive bomber manual
* 117 page Grumman TBF/TBM pilot's manual with photos, systems diagrams, performance charts, flight procedures & more, all on our new
-Bomber Collection
and don't miss the
"Fighting Lady/Carrier Ops DVD!
* The Fighting Lady (1944,Color, 60:00) Restored Color
"The Fighting Lady follows the fictional career of an Essex Class aircraft carrier from the Marcus Islands campaign, through Tinian, Truk, the "Mariana's Turkey Shoot" and much more. But don't let the term "fictionalized" miss lead you. All of the footage shown in this fascinating composite documentary is real -- shot by combat cameramen on board ship and in the air, showing actual Navy and Marine pilots and crewmen up close and personal. ("The Fighting Lady was actually the nickname given to the Yorktowns, CV-5 & CV-10.)
Plus two new videos:
* Flight Deck Crews: Landing & Re-Spotting Aircraft
(1943, Color 25:00)
 * Flight Deck Crews: Catapulting from an Aircraft Carrier (1944, Color 25:00) Major air battles in the Pacific turned on the ability of each side to quickly launch, land, re-arm, re-fuel, and then re-launch aircraft. During the battle of  Midway, when American dive bombers caught the Japanese carriers Akagi and Kaga with decks full of refueling and re-arming planes, the resulting catastrophe for the IJN was a turning point in World War II. These unique films offer a rare look (in color) at how US Navy carrier flight deck crews were trained to quickly land, park, fuel & re-arm incoming and relaunch aircraft. As a bonus, you'll see GM FM-1 "Wildcats" and Grumman TBF "Avengers" up close, handled expertly on the tiny deck of a CVE "jeep" escort carrier. "Not to be missed by any carrier fan!"  Zeno
* And a high resolution reproduction of a 76 page F4F/FM2 Wildcat pilot's manual in.pdf file format. Contains photos, systems diagrams, performance charts, procedures & more.-
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