The Last Vindicator by Buffalo1
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Description
Here are two views of the last Chance Vought SB2U-2 "Vindicator" bomber in existance on display at the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola NAS. The photos were taken on my last two visits in 2005(?)and 2007. This sole survivor was hoisted up from the bottom of Lake Michigan in 1990 and had served in four U.S. Navy squadrons flying off both the carriers USS Ranger and USS Wasp prior to Pearl Harbor. The current markings are from squadron VB-9, but this plane never saw combat and was assigned to training pilots out of Glenview NAS north of Chicago. On June 21, 1943 USMC 2nd Lt. A.W. Lemmons was making a landing that didn't go according to plan on the auxillary aircraft carrier USS Wolverine. The plane went into the drink, but Lemmons made it out OK. (In recent years a number of vintage aircraft that failed to make landings on the deck of the USS Wolverine or USS Sable have been retrieved from the bottom of Lake Michigan in remarkably good condition due to the cold water. The museum has several of these aircraft on display including a spooky "lake bottom" view of a Grumman Wildcat fighter and Douglas Devastator torpedo bomber.)
20 V-156 export versions of the Vindicator saw combat in France in 1940 flown by two land based French Navy squadrons against the Germans and Italians. 17 Vindicators also took part in the Battle of Midway, June 4-6, 1942 with Marine squadron VMSB-41 based on Midway island. Japanese sources credit USMC Captain Richard Fleming with crashing his burning Vindicator into the heavy cruiser Mikuma. Fleming was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor. After Midway, the Vindicator was replaced by the Douglas Dauntless and Grumman Avenger in the bomber role. Vindicators were assigned to training duties and finally withdrawn from service by the end of 1943.
Crew: 2
Armament: One .30 cal. and one .50 cal. machinegun. 1,000 lbs (450 kg) of bombs.
Speed: 243 mph (391 kmh)
Range: 900-1,100 miles depending on variant.
Nicknames: "Wind Indicator" and "Vibrator"
Importance: First monoplane bomber adopted by the U.S. Navy - 1936.
Comments (27)
Buffalo1
OK, you guys, have fun naming all the planes surrounding the Vindicator in both photos.
Mondwin
Fantastic shot...nbravissimo!V:DDD.Hugsxx
TomDart
Facinating..
Rainastorm
Nice...and the wings fold? Interesting since we were just watching the History Channel on planes with folding wings...I'd never knew existed.
Alz2008
great capture..
erlandpil
Fantastic shot erland
flavia49
fantastic capture!!!!
Kazziga
Always nice to see a WW II plane. Great capture!
bmac62
Mighty cool! Your well written history makes this twice as interesting. I've got to visit Pensacola one of these days. My roomate from The Citadel was a Naval Aviation pilot (F-4 Phantom)...he keeps offering to go with me, so, one of these days.
sandra46
excellent shots, great light!
texboy
looks like a bear to fly....good stuff, bud!!
RodolfoCiminelli
A fntastic and impressive shot my friend.....!!!
Osper
Hey B1, your challenge is easy. There's a a blue one, a partial yelow one, a blue and white one. :) And part of a PBY!!!!!!?????? Nice shots!
Buffalo1
@Opser: It's amazing what they will do to a PBY to make it fit!
artroland
Um ... there's a ... yeah ... uh ... um ... i think there's a ... shoot. I haven't the foggiest. LOL.
MongusKing
Awesome work my friend!!!! XCellent!!!!!
Alex_Antonov
Excellent!
debbielove
I saw the name on my list of comments to do! (I'm behind!) Way cool... By the second world war of course.. Almost suicidal to fly one at all... Very brave men.. An outstandingly rare plane.. Thanks for showing the pictures my friend.. Great ones.. Rob.
junge1
fantastic collage of this beautiful aircraft. I learned a lot of things from the historical information you provided. I didn't know for instance that they had carriers on Lake Michigan.
Richardphotos
marvelous history and captures
Garlor
Neat story and pics. Top image...PBY fuselage,Tigercat Lower image..Trimotor RR5,N2 Kaydet,Banshee,Skyraider.
Buffalo1
@Garlor: The only man brave enough to take up the challenge did quite well. Top: Wing-Grumman F4F Wildcat, wheel-Douglas SBD Dauntless (I think), tail wheel - a Coast Guard plane of some sort, PBY cut away fuselage. Bottom: Ford RR 5 trimotor, yellow wing-Boeing N-2 Kaydet,silver-yellow Ryan NR-1 Recruit, silver Curtiss Wright SNC-1 Falcon, McDonnell F2H Banshee, Douglas A-1 Skyraider and hanging above the Banshee is the gondola of a WWII blimp. Yeah, the Falcon and blimp gondola are hard to see.
proteus2
Was it the one or the devastator that the pilots referred to mockingly as "vibrator" ? P
rawdodb
Beautiful Shots.. A shame about the Catalina, no respect...
iridebikes6663
Ha ive been there too, i was stationed at NAS for 8 months in 05
ontar1
Beautiful plane, excellent captures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
e-brink
Excellent detail shots!