Neha Patil (Editor)

Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf

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Top speed
  
492 km/h

Wingspan
  
17 m

Cruise speed
  
346 km/h

Range
  
2,414 km

Length
  
12 m

First flight
  
December 22, 1941

Different parts of the Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf

Engine type
  
Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp

Similar
  
Douglas BTD Destroyer, Vought SB2U Vindicator, Douglas TBD Devastator

The Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf was a United States Navy torpedo bomber of World War II. A competitor and contemporary to the very similar Grumman TBF Avenger, the Sea Wolf was subject to substantial delays and never saw combat; only 180 of the type were built before cancellation after VJ Day.

Contents

TBY-2 Seawolf of VT-154 at the NAS Quonset Point Air National Guard Station

Design and development

A TBY-2 Sea Wolf in flight in 1945

The original design was not by Consolidated Aircraft, but rather by Vought, who designed the then XTBU-1 Sea Wolf to a 1939 US Navy requirement. The first prototype flew two weeks after Pearl Harbor. Its performance was deemed superior to the Avenger and the Navy placed an order for 1,000 examples.

Several unfortunate incidents intervened; the prototype was damaged in a rough arrested landing trial, and when repaired a month later was again damaged in a collision with a training aircraft. Once repaired again, the prototype was accepted by the Navy. However, by this time Vought was heavily overcommitted to other contracts, especially for the F4U Corsair fighter, and had no production capacity. It was arranged that Consolidated-Vultee would produce the aircraft (as the TBY), but this had to wait until the new production facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania was complete, which took until late 1943.

Operational history

A U.S. Navy Consolidated TBY-2 Sea Wolf on the ground, circa 1945

The production TBYs were radar-equipped, with a radome under the right-hand wing. The first aircraft flew on 20 August 1944. By this time though, the Avenger equipped every torpedo squadron in the Navy, and there was no need for the Sea Wolf; in addition, numerous small problems delayed entry into service. Orders were cancelled after production started, and the 180 built were used for training.

Specifications (TBY Sea Wolf)

General characteristics

The U.S. Navy Vought XTBU-1 prototype (BuNo 2542), in 1943-44. The aircraft later became known as the TBY Sea Wolf.

  • Crew: three
  • Length: 39 ft 2 in (11.95 m)
  • Wingspan: 56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
  • Height: 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
  • Wing area: 440 ft² (40.88 m²)
  • Empty weight: 11,366 lb (5,142 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 18,448 lb (8,386 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-6 Double Wasp radial engine, 2,000 hp (1,491 kW)

    • Performance

  • Maximum speed: 306 mph (492 km/h)
  • Range: 1,500 mi (2,414 km)
  • Service ceiling: 27,200 ft (8,290 m)

    • Armament

    Line drawings for the Consoldated TBY-2 Sea Wolf

  • 1 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun in cowling
  • 2 × .50 in machine gun in the wings
  • 1 × .50 in machine gun in dorsal turret
  • 1 × .30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine gun in ventral mount
  • Up to 2,000 lb (910 kg) of bombs or one torpedo

    • References

    Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA