We are pleased to welcome Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless BuNo 36175 to the collection at the Military Aviation Museum. The airframe was recovered from the bottom of Lake Michigan where it had been lost during a WWII training accident. Join us throughout the month of March to view the airplane before the restoration process begins. The exhibit constructed around the aircraft explores the loss and recovery of the aircraft, as well as provides an opportunity to look inside the fuselage and assess the condition of the airplane for yourselves!
Shared with us by A and T Recovery, the group that originally located and retrieved the aircraft from Lake Michigan, these are original sketches depicting the condition of the aircraft on the lake bottom. BuNo 36175 was found in 177 feet of water.
The aircraft’s original tail hook was found inside the fuselage. Corrosion appears to have separated the end of the hook from the remainder which is still attached to the aircraft. This tail hook is on display alongside the airplane at the Museum through the end of March.
