Douglas SBD Dauntless, Reg. NX5254L, Serial No. 2350, warbird, close-up pilot view, air-to-air, Erickson Airshow Collection 2025

The Douglas SBD Dauntless registration NX5254L, serial number 2350, is a preserved United States Navy two‑seat, single‑engine dive bomber from World War II now operated as a civilian warbird. This aircraft variant was designed for carrier‑based scouting and dive bombing and is powered by a Wright R‑1820‑60 Cyclone air‑cooled radial piston engine rated at approximately 1,200 horsepower. It has fixed dive brakes, forward and rear‑firing machine guns and is shown here in a close‑up pilot view during an air‑to‑air flight at the Erickson Airshow Collection 2025.