Sky Max 1/72 SM8010 TBD-1 Devastator "Battle of Midway" T-3, flown by Ensign William R. Evans, VT-8, USS Hornet, 4th June 1942

The Douglas TBD-1 Devastator was designed as a torpedo bomber for the USN and entered service in 1937. The TBD Devastator marked a lot of firsts for the USN. It was the first widely- used carrier-based monoplane, first all metal USN aircraft, first completely enclosed cockpit that stretched almost half the length of the fuselage, first hydraulic folding wings. When bombing the bombardier would lie under the pilot seat and look through a window in the floor to doing his sighting.

TBD Devastator T-3 c/n 0297 and in 1940 was delivered to VT-2 as 2-T-2. The aircraft was transferred to VT-2 where it was flown by Ensign William R. Evans of VT-8 aboard the USS Hornet during the Battle of Midway. On June 4, 1942 VT-8 departed to attack Japanese aircraft carriers and due to a series of errors arrived at the carriers without any Wildcat protection. As a result all fifteen TBDs were lost and there was no damage inflicted on the Japanese carriers. Only one crewman survived.