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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Northrop BT-1 / BT-2 / Douglas SBD/A-24
    Latest Model:SBD-6 Dauntless
    Last Military Serial:54654 USN
    Construction Number:6168
    Compressed ID:Douglas SBD-6 sn 54654 USN cn 6168
    Latest Owner or Location:USS Midway Museum, San Diego, California

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

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    Dates

    Event

    1944

    Constructed as a SBD-6 by Douglas.

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 54654.
    Editor Comment: This airframe dossier is not to be confused with USAAF s/n 42-54654.

    22 October 1944

    Crashed.
    Force-landed on takeoff from Pearl Harbor, HI on anti-sub patrol. Pilot suffered minor injuries.

    After 22 October 1944

    Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Navy.

    1990

    Loaned to Military Aircraft Preservation Society (MAPS) Air Museum, Akron-Canton Airport, North Canton, OH.
    View the Location Dossier

    Restoration started.

    2006

    Loaned to USS Midway Museum-Restoration Facility, North Island NAS, San Diego, CA.
    View the Location Dossier

    Circa May 2007

    Restoration completed.
    During years of restoration process this aircraft became composite made of aft fuselage and tail from SBD-6 (reportedly BuNo 54654), wings and forward fuselage from SBD-5 and cowling together with engine compartment from SBD-3.

    Markings Applied: 54654, SBD-3
    Painted on vertical stabilizer. SBD-3 variant dose not match BuNo 54654 which in fact was SBD-6. The aircraft somewhat resembles SBD-3 in outward appearance since it was fitted with cowling from that variant. Presumably because of that someone saw fit to mark it as such.

    29 May 2007

    Placed on display with USS Midway Museum, San Diego, CA.
    View the Location Dossier

    27 February 2009


    Photographer: Bill Kistler

    7 September 2011


    Photographer: Mike Henniger

    7 September 2011


    Photographer: Mike Henniger

    July 2014


    Photographer: Gustavo Bonilla

    2015

    Fitted with a suspension rig and hoisted from the ceiling of hangar deck aboard USS Midway Museum ship.

    21 April 2017


    Photographer: Marcin Rogowski
    Notes: At the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, CA, USA.
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Internet Sources
     Airport Data
    Aviation Safety Network
    MAPS Air Museum
    U.S. Demobbed by Horrex, Ray, Boulanger, Dunn, McGhee and Wood
    U.S. Warplanes by Simon Beck
    USS Midway Airwing Restoration
    USS Midway Museum
    Warbirds Directory, 6th Edition (2013) by Geoff Goodall
    Individual Contributors
     Mike Henniger
    Marcin Rogowski
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