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Contact Info
Home Town Portland, Oregon
Last Address Panama City, Florida
Date of Passing Feb 14, 2000
Location of Interment Barrancas National Cemetery (VA) - Pensacola, Florida
He was the co-pilot in crew #7 on the Doolittle Raid. The crew's pilot, Ted Lawson, wrote a book about their experiences called "Thirty Seconds over Tokyo". A movie of the same name was made. Dean Davenport was the technical advisor for the film and his role was played by actor Tim Murdock.
Later Col. Davenport served in the USAAF and USAF, flew 86 combat missions in the Korean War, and commanded several fighter units before retiring Sep 1, 1967.
His DFC citation: Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Dean Davenport (ASN: 0-427310), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary achievement as Co-Pilot of a B-25 Bomber of the 1st Special Aviation Project (Doolittle Raider Force), while participating in a highly destructive raid on the Japanese mainland on 18 April 1942. Lieutenant Davenport with 79 other officers and enlisted men volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances of survival were extremely remote, and executed his part in it with great skill and daring. This achievement reflects high credit on himself and the military service.
Division: Doolittle Tokyo Raider Force Crew No. 7 (Plane #40-2261, "The Ruptured Duck", target Tokyo) 95th Bomb Sq. L-R: Lt. Charles L. McClure, navigator; Lt. Ted W. Lawson, pilot; Lt. Robert S. Clever, bombardier; Lt. Dean Davenport, copilot; Sgt. David J. Thatcher, flight engineer/gunner. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model North American F-100D Super Sabre Length 49.51 ft | 15.09 m Width 38.75 ft | 11.81 m Height 16.24 ft | 4.95 m Engine(s) 1 x Pratt & Whitney J 57-P21 turbojet with afterburning generating 17,000lbs of thrust. Empty Weight 20,999 lbs | 9,525 kg MTOW 34,833 lbs | 15,800 kg Max Speed 864 mph | 1,390 km/h | 751 kts Max Range 1,995 miles | 3,210 km Ceiling 45,000 ft | 13,716 m | 8.5 miles Climb Rate 16,000 ft/min (4,877 m/min) Hardpoints 6 Armament 4 x 20mm cannons
External hardpoints for an additional 7,500lbs of ordnance including: Dumb Bombs, Drop Tanks and Rocket Pods. Accommodations 1
Major Variants * F-100A - Initial Production Model * F-100B - Proposed Mach 2 / nuclear-capable fighter-bomber; would go on to become the YF-107 prototype series. * F-100C - Fighter-Bomber Variant with improvements; inflight refueling capability; more powerful engine. * F-100D - Fighter-Bomber Variant with improvements; fitted with ECm equipment and low-altitude bombing system.
