Vought SB2U Vindicator The Vought SB2U Vindicator was a carrier - based dive bomber developed for the United States Navy in the 1930s , the first monoplane in this role . Obsolescent at the outbreak of World War II , Vindicators still remained in service at the time of the Battle of Midway , but by 1943 , all had been withdrawn to training units . It was known as the Chesapeake in Royal Navy service . Design and development . In 1934 , the United States Navy issued a requirement for a new Scout Bomber for carrier use , and received proposals from six manufacturers . The specification was issued in two parts , one for a monoplane , and one for a biplane . Vought submitted designs in both categories , which would become the XSB2U - 1 and XSB3U - 1 respectively . The biplane was considered alongside the monoplane design as a " hedge " against the U . S . Navy ' s reluctance to pursue the modern configuration . The XSB2U - 1 was of conventional low - wing monoplane configuration , with a retractable tailwheel undercarriage and the pilot and tail gunner seated in tandem under a long greenhouse - style canopy . The fuselage was of steel tube construction , covered with aluminum panels from the nose to the rear cockpit , and with a fabric covered rear fuselage , while the folding cantilever wing was of all - metal construction . A Pratt & Whitney R - 1535 Twin - Wasp Junior radial engine drove a two - blade constant - speed propeller , which was intended to act as a dive - brake during a dive bombing attack . A single 1 , 000 lb ( 450 kg ) bomb could be carried on a swinging trapeze to allow it to clear the propeller in a steep dive , while further bombs could be carried under the wings to give a maximum bombload of 1 , 500 lb ( 680 kg ) . The SB2U was evaluated against the Brewster XSBA - 1 , Curtiss XSBC - 3 , Great Lakes XB2G - 1 , Grumman XSBF - 1 and Northrop XBT - 1 . All but the Great Lakes and Grumman submissions were ordered into production . Designated XSB2U - 1 , one prototype was ordered on 15 October 1934 and was delivered on 15 April 1936 . Accepted for operational evaluation on 2 July 1936 , the prototype XSB2U - 1 , BuNo " 9725 " , crashed on 20 August 1936 . Its successful completion of trials led to further orders . There were 260 examples of all Vindicator variants produced , and a single example is preserved at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola . Operational history . U . S . Navy . Vindicators served on four carriers , , , , and between December 1937 and September 1942 . Air Group Nine , destined for , trained in Vindicators aboard the auxiliary carrier but transitioned to the SBD Dauntless before " Essex " joined the war . U . S . Marine Corps . VMSB - 131 and VMSB - 241 were the only two USMC squadrons that fielded the Marine - specific SB2U - 3 between March 1941 and September 1943 . VMSB - 241 ' s Vindicators saw combat at the Battle of Midway in June 1942 . Airmen with experience in more modern aircraft spoke disparagingly of SB2Us as " vibrators " or " wind indicators " in their latter combat assignments . French Navy . Based on the SB2U - 2 , the V - 156 - F incorporated specific French equipment . Briefly after the deliveries started in July 1939 , V - 156 - F crews were trained for carrier operations aboard , but when the war broke out the old carrier was declared too slow for operational service . As a result V - 156 - F - equipped units , " escadrilles " AB 1 and AB 3 , were based ashore when the Battle of France started . AB 1 sustained heavy losses while attacking bridges and German ground targets in Northern France , while AB 3 ' s V - 156 - Fs were briefly engaged against the Italians . By the time of the Armistice , there were only a handful of remaining Voughts in French hands , and the type was phased out of service . Royal Navy . France had placed an order for a further 50 V - 156 - Fs in March 1940 , with delivery planned from March 1941 . Following the defeat of France , this order was taken over by the British government for use by the Royal Navy ' s Fleet Air Arm , who named the aircraft the Chesapeake . The British required several modifications to the Chesapeake , including the additional fuel tank fitted to the SB2U - 3 , additional armour and heavier forward firing armament , with four rifle calibre machine guns replacing the single forward firing Darne machine gun of the French aircraft . Fourteen Chesapeakes were used to equip a reformed 811 Naval Air Squadron on 14 July 1941 . The squadron , whose crews referred to it as the " cheesecake " , was intended to use them for anti - submarine patrols and was earmarked for the escort carrier . By the end of October that year , it had been decided that the Chesapeakes were under - powered for the planned duties and would not be able to lift a sensible warload from the small escort carriers . Accordingly , they were withdrawn from 811 Squadron in November 1941 for use as training aircraft and the unit was re - equipped with the biplane Fairey Swordfish . Survivors . Only one known survivor exists today :