What is the Lockheed Vindicator?

[Kenneth Williams]

Heard this as a reference to an '80s stealth aircraft. Never heard of it before.

Kenneth Williams

[Stuart Chapman]

"Kenneth Williams" > wrote in message
m...
> Heard this as a reference to an '80s stealth aircraft. Never heard of it
before.
>
> Kenneth Williams


On the weekend I saw a book about an aircraft called Vindicator, that seemed
to be a precursor to the Douglas Dauntless....torpedo bomber in the '30's.

Not sure whether it was Lockheed though.

Stupot

[Devi Deveraux]

(Kenneth Williams) wrote in message >...
> Heard this as a reference to an '80s stealth aircraft. Never heard of it before.
>
> Kenneth Williams

This rumor originated with a USAF pilot that supposedly flew the
aircraft way back in the late 1980s I believe. He had a mystery patch
similar to the recent "Bird of Prey" one that fueled the speculation.

IIRC, the patch featured a popular cartoon character brandishing a
sword with some form of lightening bolt flashing.

When questioned about the patch and aircraft he said he "couldn't talk
about it, the aircraft was secret".

From what I gather, the Vindicator was/is a single seat stealth strike
aircraft which may/may not have become operational.

No one has heard anything more since that original story.

Hope this helps a little,

DV-D

[robert arndt]

"Stuart Chapman" > wrote in message >...
> "Kenneth Williams" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Heard this as a reference to an '80s stealth aircraft. Never heard of it
> before.
> >
> > Kenneth Williams


Are you sure its not a CDL aerial target?


http://www.cdlsystems.com/vindicatorbarracuda.html

Rob

[Marc Reeve]

Stuart Chapman > wrote:

> "Kenneth Williams" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Heard this as a reference to an '80s stealth aircraft. Never heard of it
> before.
> >
> > Kenneth Williams
>
>
> On the weekend I saw a book about an aircraft called Vindicator, that
> seemed to be a precursor to the Douglas Dauntless....torpedo bomber in the
> '30's.
>
> Not sure whether it was Lockheed though.
>
Nah, that would be the Vought "Wind Indicator". aka the SB2U - it was a
dive bomber, not a torpedo bomber.

Last used in combat on June 4, 1942.

-Marc

--
Marc Reeve
actual email address after removal of 4s & spaces is
c4m4r4a4m4a4n a4t c4r4u4z4i4o d4o4t c4o4m

[Andrew Chaplin]

"robert arndt" > wrote in message
om...
> "Stuart Chapman" > wrote in message
>...
> > "Kenneth Williams" > wrote in message
> > m...
> > > Heard this as a reference to an '80s stealth aircraft. Never heard
of it
> > before.
> > >
> > > Kenneth Williams
>
>
> Are you sure its not a CDL aerial target?
>
>
> http://www.cdlsystems.com/vindicatorbarracuda.html

This used to be a Boeing property and, before that, Bristol in Winterpeg,
and I think they got it from Meggitt in the U.K. It used to crash with
such regularity when lauched from its pneumatic catapult it was known as
"Vindicrater".
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

[Simon Robbins]

"Devi Deveraux" > wrote in message
om...
>
> When questioned about the patch and aircraft he said he "couldn't talk
> about it, the aircraft was secret".

Do they actually make sew-on patches for black project aircraft? Seems a
stupid lax in othrewise top-notch security to me. (Do they do t-shirts and
"My other car's a hypersonic scramjet" bumper stickers too? :^)

Could well be some pilot with a sense of humour had a patch made up for a
prank. (Hmm... that gives me an idea..)

Si

[vincent p. norris]

>On the weekend I saw a book about an aircraft called Vindicator, that seemed
>to be a precursor to the Douglas Dauntless....torpedo bomber in the '30's.
>
>Not sure whether it was Lockheed though.

That was the Vultee Vindicator, the SB2U-1. A dive-bomber. So slow
pilots nicknamed it the "Wind-indicator."

Next time you watch the movie "Midway," you'll see it being passed off
as the planes flown by Torpeo 8.

vince norris

[Marc Reeve]

vincent p. norris > wrote:

> >On the weekend I saw a book about an aircraft called Vindicator, that
> >seemed to be a precursor to the Douglas Dauntless....torpedo bomber in
> >the '30's.
> >
> >Not sure whether it was Lockheed though.
>
> That was the Vultee Vindicator, the SB2U-1. A dive-bomber. So slow
> pilots nicknamed it the "Wind-indicator."
>
> Next time you watch the movie "Midway," you'll see it being passed off
> as the planes flown by Torpeo 8.
>
The SB2U was made by Vought, not Vultee. Hence the "U" manufacturer
code. Vultee aircraft got a "V" manufacturer code until they became part
of Consolidated, when they got the "Y" code.

You may be confusing the SB2U with the BT-13, aka the "Vultee Vibrator".

-Marc

--
Marc Reeve
actual email address after removal of 4s & spaces is
c4m4r4a4m4a4n a4t c4r4u4z4i4o d4o4t c4o4m

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Stuart Chapman" > wrote in message
...
>
> On the weekend I saw a book about an aircraft called Vindicator, that
seemed
> to be a precursor to the Douglas Dauntless....torpedo bomber in the '30's.
>
> Not sure whether it was Lockheed though.
>

The SB2U Vindicator was built by Vought.

[Tex Houston]

"vincent p. norris" > wrote in message
...
> >On the weekend I saw a book about an aircraft called Vindicator, that
seemed
> >to be a precursor to the Douglas Dauntless....torpedo bomber in the
'30's.
> >
> >Not sure whether it was Lockheed though.
>
> That was the Vultee Vindicator, the SB2U-1. A dive-bomber. So slow
> pilots nicknamed it the "Wind-indicator."
>
> Next time you watch the movie "Midway," you'll see it being passed off
> as the planes flown by Torpeo 8.
>
> vince norris

Sorry, Vince. Try Vought.

Tex

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"vincent p. norris" > wrote in message
...
>
> That was the Vultee Vindicator, the SB2U-1. A dive-bomber. So slow
> pilots nicknamed it the "Wind-indicator."
>

The Vindicator was built by Vought, not Vultee. The "U" in the designator
is for Vought, the Navy used "V" for Vultee aircraft so that they could be
confused with Vega.

[Devi Deveraux]

"Simon Robbins" > wrote in message >...
> "Devi Deveraux" > wrote in message
> om...
> >
> > When questioned about the patch and aircraft he said he "couldn't talk
> > about it, the aircraft was secret".
>
> Do they actually make sew-on patches for black project aircraft? Seems a
> stupid lax in othrewise top-notch security to me. (Do they do t-shirts and
> "My other car's a hypersonic scramjet" bumper stickers too? :^)
>
> Could well be some pilot with a sense of humour had a patch made up for a
> prank. (Hmm... that gives me an idea..)
>
> Si

Upon further investigation I learned that the patch in question was
Lockheed's.

The pilot flew for them, not the USAF.

The correct patch is round with light blue sky background. On it is
the Skunk Works skunk character (not a cartoon character I thought
earlier) holding a white lightning bolt and wearing a flying cap.
Below is the word VINDICATOR.

Apologies to everyone, it was an old story. Hard to remember the exact
details.

DV-D

[Van Gardner]

vincent p. norris > wrote in message >...
> >On the weekend I saw a book about an aircraft called Vindicator, that seemed
> >to be a precursor to the Douglas Dauntless....torpedo bomber in the '30's.
> >
> >Not sure whether it was Lockheed though.
>
> That was the Vultee Vindicator, the SB2U-1. A dive-bomber. So slow
> pilots nicknamed it the "Wind-indicator."
>
> Next time you watch the movie "Midway," you'll see it being passed off
> as the planes flown by Torpeo 8.
>
> vince norris

There are a lot of Vought SB2U Vindicators in the movie "Dive Bomber"
staring Errol Flynn and Fred McMurray. It was filmed a few months
before the Pearl Harbor attack with lots of sceens on the USS
Saratoga. It's one of my favorite movies because of the many
different airplanes in background shots. I have just about worn my
video tape out. I wonder if its on DVD now.

Van

[Kenneth Williams]

(Devi Deveraux) wrote in message >...
> "Simon Robbins" > wrote in message >...
> > "Devi Deveraux" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > >
> > > When questioned about the patch and aircraft he said he "couldn't talk
> > > about it, the aircraft was secret".
> >
> > Do they actually make sew-on patches for black project aircraft? Seems a
> > stupid lax in othrewise top-notch security to me. (Do they do t-shirts and
> > "My other car's a hypersonic scramjet" bumper stickers too? :^)
> >
> > Could well be some pilot with a sense of humour had a patch made up for a
> > prank. (Hmm... that gives me an idea..)
> >
> > Si
>
> Upon further investigation I learned that the patch in question was
> Lockheed's.
>
> The pilot flew for them, not the USAF.
>
> The correct patch is round with light blue sky background. On it is
> the Skunk Works skunk character (not a cartoon character I thought
> earlier) holding a white lightning bolt and wearing a flying cap.
> Below is the word VINDICATOR.
>
> Apologies to everyone, it was an old story. Hard to remember the exact
> details.
>
> DV-D

I got an e-mail that said the same thing about the patch except the
skunk is holding a box that is projecting the lightning bolt.

The guy that sent it said Vindicator was a system, not an aircraft,
that used a laser. That's what the lightning bolt represents,
apparently.

The program year was 1984.

Kenneth Williams

[vincent p. norris]

>The Vindicator was built by Vought, not Vultee.

Gawd yes! Chance Vought. I knew that, having memorized the navy's
designation system as a little kid and having been stationed at Cherry
Point for several years when there were three or four F4U squadrons
there.

As I remarked on another aviation group (or was it this one? I
forget), a few days ago when I made a similar feeble-minded slip, I'm
getting more senile every day!

vince norris

[[email protected]]

vincent p. norris > wrote:

>>The Vindicator was built by Vought, not Vultee.
>
>Gawd yes! Chance Vought. I knew that, having memorized the navy's
>designation system as a little kid and having been stationed at Cherry
>Point for several years when there were three or four F4U squadrons
>there.
>
>As I remarked on another aviation group (or was it this one? I
>forget), a few days ago when I made a similar feeble-minded slip, I'm
>getting more senile every day!
>
>vince norris

I know the feeling Vince but it beats not getting older every day
doesn't it?...
:)
--

-Gord.

[vincent p. norris]

>I know the feeling Vince but it beats not getting older every day
>doesn't it?...
>:)

Sure does! A friend who is even more ancient than I am, old enough to
have flown P-40s and 51s during WW II, occasionally complains about
getting old, and I always respond, "Bill, you want to KEEP DOING
THAT!"

vince norris