Brewster Buccaneer

SB2A Buccaneer
An SB2A-4 near Vero Beach, Florida, 1942-43
Role	Scout bomber
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Brewster Aeronautical Corporation
First flight	17 June 1941
Status	Retired
Primary users	United States Navy United States Army Air Corps Royal Air Force Royal Navy
Number built	771

The Brewster SB2A Buccaneer was a single-engined mid-wing monoplane scout/bomber aircraft built for the United States Navy during the early 1940s. It was also supplied to the United States Army Air Corps.

The SB2A (Brewster Model 340) was a development of Brewster's earlier SBA scout-bomber, sharing the single-engined, mid-winged monoplane layout of the earlier aircraft, but was larger and had a more powerful engine. It carried up to 1,000 lb (454 kg) of bombs in an internal bomb bay and for defensive purposes was fitted with a power-operated turret armed with two .30 in machine guns supplementing a further four forward-firing guns.

The US Navy ordered a prototype XSB2A on 4 April 1939, which first flew on 17 June 1941. Large-scale orders had already been placed by this time, however, with the United Kingdom ordering 750 aircraft as the Brewster Bermuda and the Netherlands ordering a further 162 to equip the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. The first US Navy production order, for 140 aircraft, was placed on 24 December 1940.

The RAAF had plans to order approximately 240 Bermudas in mid-1941 to re-equip 11 squadrons, but problems with the plane led the RAAF to cancel the order in November 1941, opting instead for the Vultee Vengeance.

The Royal Air Force purchased a version based on the SB2A-1s which they designated the Bermuda. They were used for training and target towing. Five of the Cyclone-powered aircraft under the model number '340' were supplied to the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy for assessment - four as dive bombers and one as a target towing tug.

Data from United States Navy Aircraft since 1911

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