Douglas TBD Devastator Carrier Torpedo-Bomber Family

The Douglas TBD Devastator was the U.S. Navy's first carrier-based monoplane torpedo bomber and a major step in naval aircraft design. Its enclosed crew positions, all-metal low-wing structure, folding wing, and carrier equipment made it the Navy's state-of-the-art torpedo bomber when it entered service in 1937; the type later became central to the opening Pacific campaigns, including the Coral Sea and Midway, before rapid fighter and weapons advances made it obsolete.