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| SBD Dauntless By: Bill Stack |
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| SBD Dauntless Manufactured: Vertigo Studios Published: Vertigo Studios Click on image's to enlarge. The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a World War II naval dive bomber made by Douglas Aircraft. "SBD" stands for "Ship Borne Dive-Bomber." A dive bomber is an attack aircraft for precision bombing of targets by diving on them at a steep angle. Dive bombing was useful for attacking naval vessels that were evading attacks because it pounced on them from above like birds of prey. The Douglas SBD Dauntless was the only United States aircraft to participate in all five naval engagements that were fought exclusively between aircraft carriers. It sank more enemy shipping during 1942 than all other aircraft combined, even though it was considered obsolete and replacements were being developed before the war began. It had seating for two persons in tandem with dual flight controls. It carried a 1,000-pound bomb under the fuselage, one 100-pound bomb on each wing, two forward-firing, fixed machine guns in the nose cowling, and one movable machine gun facing backward. A version of the Douglas SBD Dauntless for FSX SP1, SP2 and Acceleration has been released by Vertigo Studios. No model is planned for FS2004 because of "poly counts." They said the only way it could have been achieved would have been to cut back on a lot of detail.   Vertigo Studios is a new aircraft-development endeavour organized by Dean Greasley. "With the success of the F6F Hellcat our next step was to work with another well-known aircraft which is the SBD Dauntless." The Dauntless was chosen because it "was an iconic aircraft that played a very important roll," Mr. Greasley explained. "Initially we have only released a fighter and wanted to try our hands on a dive bomber as there was no Payware SBD for FSX that I was aware of." Performance characteristics differ depending on typical variables and whether this aircraft is used in combat or noncombat. The following specifications are taken from the Vertigo Studios manual: • Gross weight — 7,773 to 9,019 pounds • Take off distance — 609 feet to 862 feet • Service ceiling — 25,200 feet to 28,800 feet • Cruising speed — 173 knots to 203 knots • Highest speed — 194 knots to 223 knots Vertigo Studios touts the following among more than 30 features of its SBD   Dauntless: • Designed and built by the book • Animated pilot — looks toward direction of turn • True 3D instrumentation • Sound engineered from real SBD recordings • Pilot's notes pop-up 2D panel keeps important information easily available Visual Features: Vertigo Studio's Dauntless is accurate inside and out compared with real-world photos on the Internet. The overall shape and dimensions as well as all details appear true to reality. Nine variants are included. Many of the cockpit switches and controls are operable. Flight Model I used Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air Station (PHNG) for my test flights because it is at sea level and it is a historically appropriate airfield for this aircraft. I also used standard atmosphere and clear weather. Vertigo Studios says two models are available for desired levels of simulation — "intermediate" for book flyers and "easy" for fun flyers. I didn't see anything in the manual or aircraft-selection menus that identified which was which. I must have selected the "fun" model, because it was much easier to fly than I expected of a 1940s aircraft. It took off, climbed, levelled, turned, descended, and landed with little effort. Guidance in Vertigo's manual makes simulations more realistic, but the aircraft flew just fine "by the seat." The tail lifted at about 70 KIAS, and the aircraft lifted off the runway at about 90 knots. It climbed at 1,000 feet per minute at 110 KTS and 1,800 FPM at 100 KIAS. It will climb at 500 FPM at 150 KTS. Once aloft, it handled very much like a Cessna 172/182. Flying straight and level was easy, as was turning, climbing, and descending. It seemed more sensitive to banking, however, as it lost altitude more quickly during this manoeuvre than a C172 does, so it requires constant attention to pitch and power during turns.   Because this was a dive bomber, I executed a practice dive from 5,000 feet. It accelerated over the top of the airspeed indicator during the dive. When I reached 1,000 feet, I pulled up, and the aircraft came out of the dive right away. But airspeed and attitude must be strictly controlled during these manoeuvres or the aircraft can go into the sea or stall during pull-out. Having never flown a real Dauntless, I have no way of knowing whether this modelling is correct. Vertigo said the flight modelling "was created from the official flight manual." Although the flaming engine is a realistic feature, it can also be a hindrance. Once the engine flames out, there is no restarting it. The aircraft must be ditched into the sea or landed anyplace suitable. Vertigo Studios affirmed this, saying "Once the flameout comes into play there is no turning back, basically the simmer has killed the engine resulting in total engine failure." Flaming out when the engine overheats is realistic enough, but flaming out whenever all the lights are on is unrealistic and annoying. I was unable to make good night pictures because of the flameouts when the lights were on. In response to my question, Vertigo said the following about engine flaming: "Do to restraints with in FSX by hitting the 'I' key brings the effects in to play, within the sim manual it's stated not to use the 'I' key and to use the switches on the main electrical panel to achieve night flying. Every light on the SBD is controlled via the main electrical panel."   Technical Features The installation program installs all needed files into the Microsoft Flight Simulator X folder. Aircraft sounds "engineered from real SBD recordings" make the Dauntless sound like a World War II real dive bomber in all flight operations. The aircraft relies solely on a 3D virtual cockpit. Aircraft performance data and checklists are included in a manual and in the kneeboard. I find kneeboards much easier to use than multi-page manuals. The checklist doesn't appear in the kneeboard, however, because the file extension is "html" instead of "htm," as MSFS requires. When I changed the file extension, the checklist appeared as it should. Vertigo Studios promises to fix this minor but inconvenient error in a pending patch. Technical support is available through an online support center and the use of support tickets, but I received no reply after more than a week other than an immediate confirmation of my request. Nice Features The realistic cockpit with its functioning controls make using this aircraft very easy and realistic. We can see through the site tube atop the instrument panel (see screen shot). We can also see land and sea below through a small rectangular opening in the floor between the pilot's feet. The moveable cockpit canopies are fun to operate. The pilot's head that moves toward the banking side during turns is a realistic touch. Engine failure is modelled. The manual says: "The aircraft will always show tell-tale signs of wear if being misused. White smoke means that the engine may be beginning to overheat, as does a rough running power plant. Black smoke means that there is a serious problem requiring the attention of the pilot." I found no way to disengage the engine fires other than to restart the simulation, however. Shutting down and restarting the engine did not extinguish the fire, whether aloft or on the ground. This means that close attention to engine instruments is absolutely requisite, as is not using all the lights simultaneously, the latter being unrealistic. The Manual A 21-page manual in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format describes how to use this aircraft. • Specifications and performance data are clearly spelled out. • Annotated screen shots of the cockpit identify major gauges, controls, and switches. • Checklists for all taking off and landing are included. • Maximum weights, service ceilings, and cruising speeds are specified in the manual. Minimum, maximum, rotation, take-off, and stall speeds are shown in the kneeboard reference sheet. • Operations of the World War II era radios are not explained. I found how to set frequencies, but I found no instruments providing readouts (Omni bearing indicators, automatic direction finder, etc.). In response to my question, Vertigo said it is working on a patch "that will replace the current radio with a much easier means of managing the comms." More Information Information about the Douglas SBD Dauntless can be found at these websites, among others: • Aviation History • Warbird Alley • Wikipedia. Summary Vertigo Studio's Douglas SBD Dauntless is a fun aircraft for simulating World War II operations or nostalgic flights. Everything about it seems realistic (I found nothing to the contrary). Other than the engine failures and fires, it's generally easy to fly. The manual and kneeboard data are helpful toward using this unique aircraft. Instructions on using the unique WWII radios are needed, and Vertigo promises a patch to improve the radios. The engine fires should not occur whenever all lights are turned on because there is little relation between the two (other than an unlikely simulated electrical short), but Vertigo explains that inherent FSX limits are factors. |
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