08/31/2011. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Six months before Pearl Harbor, the Navy gave Douglas contracts to build two prototypes of a new two-seat scout bomber, the XSB2D-1 (BuNo 03551, 03552). First flown April 8, 1943, the XSB2D-1 was not produced but was modified into the BTD-1, first of a new class of single-seat torpedo-bombers.

A contract dated August 31, 1943, increased earlier orders to a total of 358 but only 28 BTD-1s (BuNo 04959 to 04971, 09048 to 09062) were completed, deliveries starting in June 1944 and ending in October 1945. The BTD-1 was powered by a 2,300 hp Wright R-3350-14 engine."