Brewster SB2A Buccaneer

The Brewster SB2A Buccaneer was a single-engined mid-wing monoplane scout/bomber aircraft built for the United States Navy during the early 1940s. It was also supplied to the United States Army Air Corps.

Design and development
The SB2A (Brewster Model 340) was a development of Brewster's earlier SBA scout-bomber, sharing the single-engined, mid-winged monoplane layout of the earlier aircraft, but was larger and had a more powerful engine. It carried up to 1,000 lb (454 kg) of bombs in an internal bomb-bay and for defensive purposes was fitted with a power operated turret armed with two .30 in machine guns supplementing a further four forward firing guns.

The US Navy ordered a prototype XSB2A on 4 April 1939, which first flew on 17 June 1941. Large-scale orders had already been placed by this time, however, with the United Kingdom ordering 750 aircraft as the Brewster Bermuda and the Netherlands ordering a further 162 to equip the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. The first US Navy production order, for 140 aircraft, was placed on 24 December 1940.

The RAAF had plans to order approximately 240 Bermudas in mid-1941 to re-equip 11 squadrons, but problems with the plane led the RAAF to cancel the order in November 1941, opting instead for the Vultee Vengeance.

Operational history
The Royal Air Force purchased a version based on the SB2A-1s which they designated the Bermuda. They were used for training and target towing. Five of the Cyclone powered aircraft under the model number '340' were supplied to the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy for assessment - four as dive bombers and one as a target towing tug.

Variants

 * XSB2A-1 Buccaneer
 * (Model 340-7) Prototype, one built.


 * SB2A-2
 * (Model 340-20)Initial production, revised armament - non-folding wings. 80 built.


 * SB2A-3
 * (Model 340-26) Fitted with folding wings and arrestor hook for carrier operations. 60 built.


 * SB2A-4
 * (Model 340-17) Requisitioned aircraft built for Netherlands. 162 built.


 * A-34 Bermuda
 * Designation for Lend Lease production for United Kingdom (see below)


 * Bermuda Mk.1
 * Model 340-14 production for United Kingdom. Turret replaced by flexible gun mounting. Originally 750 ordered, but only 468 were delivered.


 * R340
 * United States Army Air Force designation for Bermuda I aircraft not delivered to the United Kingdom and used as ground training airframes.

Operators

 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * Royal Canadian Air Force three Bermuda Is used for trials then used as ground instructional airframes.
 * Royal Air Force
 * Fleet Air Arm
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * United States Army Air Corps
 * United States Navy
 * United States Marine Corps
 * United States Marine Corps

Survivors

 * A-34
 * s/n unknown - National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. It is displayed as a US Navy SB2A Buccaneer.
 * s/n unknown - in storage at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.