United States' Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bomber, Nickname: The Beast

Photos

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver:	Curtiss SB2C Helldiver crew:	Curtiss SB2C Helldiver lining up to land on the USS Yorktown:	Curtiss SB2C Helldivers with the Fast Carrier Task Force 58 near Saipan on August 24, 1944:
Curtiss SB2C-1 Helldiver: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook	Curtiss SB2C-1 Helldiver: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook
Curtiss SBW-1B, Helldiver Mk I:	Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 2ith the Fleet Air Arm in 1943:
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver:

Design

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was designed to meet a 1939 United States Navy specification and was Curtiss' first monoplane carrier aircraft.³ The SB2C was intended to replace the Dauntless that was just going into production.⁵ The plane was to carry bombs in an internal bomb bay⁶ and the aircraft had to be able to fit on an elevator 40' x 48'.⁴ Brewster also made a prototype, the SB2A Buccaneer which wasn't selected.⁵

The project engineer for Curtiss was Raymond C. Blaylock.⁴

The rear gunner had a large sheet of armor protecting him.¹

Divebrakes were fitted to the wing and the trailing edge flaps were split.¹

Prototype

The XSB2C-1 prototype first flew on December 18, 1940.^2,3,4,5 Test pilot Lloyd Childs wasn't enthusiastic about the bomber after taking it for a test flight and discovering stability problems.⁴ In February 1941, during a test flight, the engine quit on an approach to landing.⁴ Flight tests didn't resume until May 1941.⁴

During trials one SB2C Helldiver broke apart.¹

The specifications and thus the design was changed and the new production model wasn't completed until June 1942.^3,4 It had a larger tail and revised rear fuselage.³ There was also more armor protection installed.³ There were around 880 other changes.^3,4

Production

An initial order for 370 SB2C-1s was placed on May 15, 1939.^4,5 This was placed well before the first prototype was completed.⁴

At the Columbus plant a "post production" line was setup to install modifications to finished aircraft coming of the main production line.⁴ These were mainly modifications to control surfaces and internal fixes.⁴

• Curtiss XSB2C-1: 1³
• Curtiss SB2C-1: 978⁴
• Curtiss SB2C-2: 200³
• Curtiss SB2C-1C: 778³
• Curtiss SB2C-3: 1,112^3,4
• Curtiss SB2C-4, Curtiss SB2C-4E: 2,045^3,4, 2,054⁵
• Curtiss SB2C-5: 970^3,4
  • Production: February 1945 - ⁴
• Curtiss A-25A / Curtiss SB2C-1A: 900³
• Curtiss A-25A: 900⁴
  • Manufacturer: Curtiss (St. Louis)⁴
• Total: 7,199², 7,200^3,5
  • Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Company⁵
• SBF-1/3/4/4E/5: 300^2,3,5
  • Manufacturer: Fairchild of Canada³, Fairchild Aircraft Limited at Longueuil⁵
• SBW-1/3/4/4E/5: 894^3,5, 984²
  • Manufacturer: Canadian Car and Foundry Co. (CCF) in Montreal^3,5

Variants

• Curtiss XSB2C-1: Prototype.^2,3,5
• Curtiss XSB2C-2: The 5th production aircraft was modified to have twin floats and a ventral fin installed.⁴ It was destroyed in water tests and was cancelled.⁴
• Curtiss SB2C-1: Had larger fin and rudder.² Carried more fuel.² Armament was four 12.7 mm machine guns in the wings.²
• Curtiss SB2C-1A: Redesignated A-25As taken over by US Marines.^2,3,5
• Curtiss SB2C-1C: Had two 20 mm guns in the wings.^2,3
• Curtiss SB2C-3: Arrived in 1944.^2,5 Had a more powerful engine.^2,3,5 Used Curtiss Electric four blade propeller.^4,5 Perforated dive brakes.⁴
• Curtiss SB2C-3E: APS-4 radar was in a housing under the wing.⁴
• Curtiss SB2C-4: Could carry eight 5" / 127 mm rockets or 1,000 lb / 454 kg of bombs under the wings.^2,3,5
• Curtiss SB2C-4E: Had a small pod under the wing that carried radar (APS-4⁴).^2,3,4
• Curtiss SB2C-5: Carried more fuel (35 gallons⁴).^2,3,4
• Curtiss A-25A Shrike: United States Air Force version of the SB2C-1.^2,3,4
• SBW-1B / Helldiver I: Canadian constructed for the Royal Navy.^2,3

Usage

The SB2C was used by the Australia, Britain, and United States.³

First Use

The VB-17 conducted a raid on Rabaul on November 11, 1943.^2,3,5

Australia

The Australians used 10 Shrikes in 1943 to 1944.³ None became operational.³

United Kingdom

Only 26 were delivered out of 450 that were ordered by 1944.^1,2,4,5 None became operational.^1,2,3,4

United States

The United States Navy used 5,516 during World War II.¹

The VB-17 squadron on the USS Bunker Hill was the first ones issued the SB2C Helldiver.¹

The United States Air Force used the SB2C Helldiver as a trainer and a target tower.¹ These were called the A-25A and there were 900 produced and most of these were used by the United States Marine Corps.^2,5

Specifications