#Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

[carbone14]

Bombardier en piqué Curtiss SB2C Helldiver – 1943-1945

©United States Navy

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Sea Wolf with fangs of fire!

[lonestarbattleship]

Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldivers of VB-18, assigned to USS Intrepid (CV-11), on patrol over the Philippine Sea, on November 15, 1944.

Note crudely repainted markings on tails.

NHHC: 80-G-K-2222

[lonestarflight]

Naval Review of Fleets in Virginia, circa June 1957.

Photographed by Frank Scherschel for LIFE Magazine.

LIFE Magazine Archives: 113691409, 113691414, 113691413

[usafphantom2]

WWII by Linh Yoshimura Via Flickr: Iwo Jima Operation, 1945 - Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldiver bomber from USS Hancock (CV-19) flies over two battleships of the invasion fleet, during strikes on Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945. US National Archives Photo.

[nocternalrandomness]

A Helldiver watching the sunset at Ellington Field

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Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldiver over USS Hornet. January 1945

➤➤ TRAINING VIDEO: https://youtu.be/InaZUZjkrXc

[captain-price-unofficially]

A U.S. Navy Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldiver of Bombing Squadron VB-81 "Hell Razors" passes over the fantail of the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-18) on approach for recovery, in late 1944 or early 1945.

[nimbushobby]

Grumman f4f Wildcat • Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

[airmanisr]

Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver by Willard Womack Via Flickr: Looks like a new SB2C in a publicity shot, with an attractive young woman.

[carbone14]

Un bombardier en piqué Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver du 10e Escadron de bombardement (VB-10) assigné au porte-avions USS Intrepid (CV-11) au-dessus de Tientsin (Tianjin) alors que la cité est réoccupée par les alliés – Chine – 5 septembre 1945

Photographe : Official U.S. Navy Photograph

©Naval History and Heritage Command - 80-G-348290

Ce jour-là, l'USS Intrepid lança 86 avions pour une démonstration de force pendant la démobilisation des forces japonaises dans le secteur.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver

The Helldiver was developed to replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless. It was a much larger aircraft, able to operate from the latest aircraft carriers and carry a considerable array of armament. It featured an internal bomb bay that reduced drag when carrying heavy ordnance. Saddled with demanding requirements set forth by both the U.S. Marines and United States Army Air Forces, the manufacturer incorporated features of a "multi-role" aircraft into the design.

The Model XSB2C-1 prototype initially suffered development issues connected to its Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone engine and three-bladed propeller; further concerns included structural weaknesses, poor handling, directional instability, and bad stall characteristics. In 1939, a student took a model of the new Curtiss XSB2C-1 to the MIT wind tunnel. Professor of Aeronautical Engineering Otto C. Koppen was quoted as saying, "if they build more than one of these, they are crazy". He was referring to controllability issues with the small vertical tail.

The first prototype made its maiden flight on 18 December 1940. It crashed on 8 February 1941 when its engine failed on approach, but Curtiss was asked to rebuild it. The fuselage was lengthened and a larger tail was fitted, while an autopilot was fitted to help the poor stability. The revised prototype flew again on 20 October 1941, but was destroyed when its wing failed during diving tests on 21 December 1941.

Large-scale production had already been ordered on 29 November 1940, but a large number of modifications were specified for the production model. Fin and rudder area were increased, fuel capacity was increased, self-sealing fuel tanks were added, and the fixed armament was doubled to four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the wings, compared with the prototype's two cowling guns. The SB2C-1 was built with larger fuel tanks, improving its range considerably.

The program suffered so many delays that the Grumman TBF Avenger entered service before the Helldiver, even though the Avenger had begun its development two years later. Nevertheless, production tempo accelerated with production at Columbus, Ohio and two Canadian factories: Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada), which produced 300 (under the designations XSBF-l, SBF-l, SBF-3, and SBF-4E), and Canadian Car and Foundry, which built 894 (designated SBW-l, SBW-3, SBW-4, SBW-4E, and SBW-5), these models being respectively equivalent to their Curtiss-built counterparts. A total of 7,140 SB2Cs and equivalent models were produced in World War II.

Initially poor handling characteristics and late modifications caused lengthy delays to production and deployment, to the extent that it was investigated by the Truman Committee, which turned in a scathing report. This contributed to the decline of Curtiss as a company. Neither pilots nor aircraft carrier skippers seemed to like it. Nevertheless, the type was faster than the Dauntless, and by the end of the Pacific War, the Helldiver had become the main dive bomber and attack aircraft on USN carriers.

By the time a land-based variant, known as the A-25 Shrike, became available in late 1943, the Western Allied air forces had abandoned dedicated dive-bombers. A majority of A-25s delivered to the US Army Air Forces were transferred to the US Marine Corps, which used the type only in one side campaign and non-combat roles. The British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force also cancelled substantial orders, retaining only a few aircraft for research purposes.

Nicknames for the aircraft included "Big-Tailed Beast" or just "Beast", "Two-Cee", and "Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class"; the latter nickname was derived from the name SB2C and the aircraft's reputation for having difficult handling characteristics.

Photo-Description:

Aircraft

Commemorative Air Force

Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver

Reg.: N92879

Code: 32

Location & Date

Wichita - McConnell AFB (IAB / KIAB)

Kansas, USA - September 25, 2010

Caption:

Photographer:

J Snyder (Oklahoma, USA)

[lonestarbattleship]

Loading drop tanks on Curtiss SB2C Helldivers aboard USS Lexington (CV-16) before a search mission.

Date: October 25, 1944

NHHC: 80-G-284381

[usafphantom2]

Restored Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

@ron_eisele via X

[sentinelchicken]

Here's a real avgeek treat, only one of two Martin AM-1 Mauler attack aircraft on display in the world- this is the Mauler at the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Oregon, the other one is only display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. ⁣ ⁣ Only 154 Maulers were built and served on a limited operational basis 1948-1953. ⁣ ⁣ Powered by a massive Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engine, the Mauler was developed as a back up to the more complex Curtiss BTC-2 which was the planned successor to the problematic Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. Originally designated the BTM-1, 750 were ordered for the upcoming invasion of the Japanese Home Islands but with the surrender in August 1945, the order was reduced to just 99 examples. ⁣ ⁣ In April 1946, the Navy had consolidated the scout bomber (SB), torpedo bomber (TB) and bomber torpedo (BT) roles into a single “A for Attack” designation. The Mauler's designation changed from BTM-1 to AM-1 and found itself in the shadow of a far more reliable and well-liked piston attack design- the Douglas AD Skyraider. ⁣ ⁣ One of the interesting features of the AM-1 Mauler was its combination landing flaps/dive brakes- the upper and lower dive brakes had intermeshing fingers that formed a solid flap when closed. As opposed to perforated dive brakes which had the many holes to reduce buffeting in a steep dive, the Mauler's dive brakes did the same thing but with the fingers exposed when the upper and lower dive brakes opened. ⁣ ⁣ I'll be posting a bit more about the AM-1 Mauler on our La Jetee Press feed as it's a fascinating story of aircraft not meant to compete with the Skyraider, but in the post-WW2 drawdown, found itself constantly compared with the Skyraider. ⁣ ⁣ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #MDJ #Madras #Oregon #airport #planespotting ⁣ #EricksonAircraftCollection #Martin #AM1 #Mauler #instagramaviation ⁣ #mil_aviation_originals #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight⁣ #AvGeekNation #AvGeekSchoolofKnowledge (at Erickson Aircraft Collection) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2E1rEuZz7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=