SBU Corsair

Vought SBU-1 Corsairs in colourful prewar US Navy markings during the mid-thirties.

The Vought SBU-1 Corsair was a two seat, all metal biplane dive bomber built by Vought Aircraft Company of Dallas, Texas for the US Navy. Its design was based upon the F3U-1 two seat fighter that was abandoned when the Navy decided not to build any more two seat fighters. The aircraft was equipped with a closed cockpit, had fixed landing gear, and was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535 radial air-cooled engine as had the F3U-1, but also included a controllable pitch propeller and a new NACA cowl with adjustable cowling gills on the trailing edge of the cowl. The adjustable cowling gills permitted better control of cooling airflow over the engine.

The SBU-1 completed flight tests in 1934 and went into production under a contract awarded in January 1935. The Corsair was the first aircraft of its type, a scout bomber, to fly faster than 200 mph.

Specifications (SBU-2)

General characteristics

• Crew: two: pilot, navigator/gunner
• Length: 8.4 m (27 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 10.1 m (33 ft 3 in)
• Height: 3.6 m (11 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 27.4 m² (295 ft²)
• Empty: 1,558 kg (3435 lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 2,427 kg (5,351 lb)
• Powerplant: one, Pratt and Whitney R-1535-98 Twin Wasp Jr. double row radial air-cooled engine, 518 kW (700 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 326 km/h (203 mph)
• Cruise speed: km/h (mph)
• Range: km (mi)
• Service ceiling: 7,589 m (24,900 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min (ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Power/mass:

Armament

• three 7.62 mm machine guns

Operators

• Argentina, United States Navy.