[Don Boose]

Garry’s model is of U.S. Navy Vought SBU-1 Bureau of Aeronautics Number (BuNo) 9758, 3-S-6, as it appeared between November 1935 and July 1937, when it was assigned to Scouting Squadron 3 (VS-3B) aboard USS Lexington (CV-2), which was assigned to the Pacific Fleet Battle Force (hence the suffix “B” to the squadron number). The white lower cowling of 3-S-6 identifies it as the third aircraft of the second section

U.S. aviation pioneer Chance M. Vought began designing aircraft for the U.S. Navy during World War I. His VE-7 and VE-9 were exceptionally capable aircraft that served as trainers, fighters, and observation aircraft in both landplane and floatplane configurations. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Vought aircraft served widely in the Navy as fighters, observation, and scout aircraft. Beginning with the O2U (another of Garry’s models in this series), the Chance Vought Corporation applied the unofficial name “Corsair” to its Navy aircraft. The SBU was the last biplane Vought Corsair for the U.S. Navy. Originally intended as a fighter and designated XF3U-1, it first flew in May 1933. After extensive modification, including provision for center-line dive-bomb-dropping apparatus, the prototype was re-designated XSBU-1. In January 1935, the Navy ordered 84 SBU-1s.

The SBU-1 was metal-framed, fabric-covered, and powered by a fully-cowled 700 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1535-80 14-cylinder twin-row radial engine. It was armed with one fixed forward-firing and one flexible 0.30-caliber machine gun, one 500-lb bomb carried under the fuselage, and provision for smaller items under the wings. It was the first aircraft to receive the designation “SB” for “scout bomber,” combining the missions of scouting (reconnaissance to locate hostile fleet units) and dive bombing.

The Lexington air group was the first Navy unit to receive SBU-1s when in November 1935 VS-3B traded in its Grumman SF-1s for the new aircraft. As part of the naval air reorganization on 1 July 1937, carrier squadrons were re-numbered so that each squadron had the same number as the hull number of the carrier to which it was assigned. Thus, VS-3B was re-designated VS-2, but kept its Indian Head squadron emblem (the Navy frequently re-numbered carrier squadrons, so the only way to trace a squadron lineage, other than to track through the audit trail of documentation, is through the squadron emblem). At that time, the Navy also decreed that all the aircraft of a carrier air group would have the same tail color. Lexington was assigned lemon yellow. Aircraft of VS-3B already had lemon yellow tails, which they retained. In 1939, VS-2 turned in its SBU-1s for new Curtiss SBC-4s. The SBU-1s continued in service with VS-41 and VS-42 aboard USS Ranger (CV-4 - Ranger’s flight deck was too short for torpedo bomber operations, so its air group consisted of one fighting squadron, VF-4; one bombing squadron, VB-4; and two scout squadrons, VS-41 and VS-42). In March and April 1941, VS-41 was converted to a fighter squadron and re-designated VF-42, while VS-42 was re-equipped with SB2U-1s. Thereafter, the 59 surviving SBU-1s were sent to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and NAS Pensacola, Florida, to be used for training. The subject of Garry’s model, SBU-1 BuNo 9758, continued in service until 15 January 1944, when it was struck off charge (deleted from the Navy list of aircraft). I have been unable to determine if the ship was at Corpus Christi or Pensacola at the end of its service.

Images:

1. Vought SBU-1 Corsair BuNo 9758 (3-S-6) in flight, 1936 or 1937. Source: U.S. Navy photograph posted in the Axis & Allies Paintworks forum, available at Forums / USAAF / USN Library / The First Corsairs - SBU-1/2 - Axis and Allies Paintworks

2. Vought SBU-1 Corsair BuNo 9758 (3-S-6) at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California, 1936 or 1937. Source: U.S. Navy photograph posted in the Axis & Allies Paintworks forum, available at Forums / USAAF / USN Library / The First Corsairs - SBU-1/2 - Axis and Allies Paintworks

3. Michael Feder painting of Vought SBU-1 Corsair BuNo 9758 (3-S-6) of Scouting Squadron Six, U.S.S. Lexington, 1936. Source: Wings-Aviation website, available at http://www.wings-aviation.ch/21-USNa...BU/VS-3-01.png

Sources:

Axis & Allies Paintworks, SBU-1, available at http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?1590.0 On-line forum with many good quality images of the SBU-1.

Joe Baugher, “US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos, Second Series (0001 to 5029),” available at http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/secondseries1.html

Thomas E. Doll, Berkley R. Jackson, and William A. Riley, Navy Air Colors: United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Camouflage and Markings, Vol. 1 1911-1945, Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal, 1983.

John M. Elliott, The Official Monogram US Navy & Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide, Vol. 1, 1911-1939, Boylston, MA: Monogram Aviation Publications, 1987.

Michael E. Feder, “USS Lexington CV-2,” Wings-Aviation, available at http://www.wings-aviation.ch/22-USNavy-Carrier/Fleet-Carrier/CV-02-USS-Lexington.htm

Peter Freeman, Wings of the Fleet: US Navy & Marine Corps Aviation 1919-1941, On Target Special, Ardington, Oxfordshire, UK: The Aviation Workshop Publications Ltd., 2010.

E.R. Johnson, United States Naval Aviation 1919-1941: Aircraft, Airships and Ships Between the Wars, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2011, pp. 36-37.

William T. Larkins, U.S. Navy Aircraft 1921-1941, Concord, CA: Aviation History Publications, 1961. Image of 1134 on page 280.

Joseph V. Mizrahi, U.S. Navy Dive and Torpedo Bombers, Northridge, CA: Sentry Books, 1967, p. 10.

Gordon Swanborough and Peter M Bowers, “Vought SBU,” United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1968, pp. 374-375.