Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"SBF-1" redirects here. For the earlier XSBF-1, see Grumman XSBF. For the biplane Helldiver, see Curtiss SBC Helldiver. For other uses, see Curtiss Helldiver.
SB2C Helldiver
A-25 Shrike
A Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in tricolor scheme and tail markings for VB-80, operating off USS Hancock, February 1945
Role Dive bomber
National origin United States
Manufacturer
Curtiss-Wright
Built by
First flight 18 December 1940
Introduction December 1942
Retired 1959 (Italy)
Primary users United States Navy
Produced 1943–1945
Number built 7,140
Developed into Curtiss XSB3C

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver is a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright during World War II. As a carrier-based bomber with the United States Navy (USN), in Pacific theaters, it supplemented and replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. A few survivors are extant.

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.[1] 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.[1]

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 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,[2]
retaining only a few aircraft for research purposes.

Nicknames for the aircraft included "Big-Tailed Beast" or just "Beast",[3] "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.[4]

Design and development

Curtiss XSB2C Helldiver prototype on its maiden flight

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.[5]

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

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.[8]

The first prototype made its maiden flight on 18 December 1940.[9] 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.[10][11]

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

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.[12]

Operational history

US Navy

SB2C-4 from Yorktown off Iwo Jima

The U.S. Navy would not accept the SB2C until 880 modifications

slats mechanically linked with landing gear actuators, that extended from the outer third of the wing leading edge to aid lateral control at low speeds. The early prognosis of the "Beast" was unfavourable; it was strongly disliked by aircrews due to its size, weight, and reduced range compared to the SBD it replaced.[14]

SB2C-1s in tricolor scheme (front) on the flight deck of Yorktown in 1943.

In the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 45 Helldivers, most of which had been launched from extreme range, were lost when they ran out of fuel while returning to their carriers.[15]

Among its major faults, the Helldiver was underpowered, had a shorter range than the SBD, was equipped with an unreliable electrical system, and its manufacturing quality control was often poor. The Curtiss-Electric propeller and the complex hydraulic system had frequent maintenance problems.[16] One of the faults of the aircraft throughout its operational life was poor longitudinal stability, resulting from a fuselage that was too short due to the necessity of fitting onto aircraft carrier elevators.[7] The Helldiver's aileron response was also poor and handling suffered greatly under 90 kn (100 mph; 170 km/h) airspeed; since the speed of approach to land on a carrier was supposed to be 85 kn (98 mph; 157 km/h), this proved problematic.[7] The 880 changes demanded by the Navy and modification of the aircraft to its combat role resulted in a 42% weight increase, explaining much of the problem.[17]

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver during takeoff.

The solution to these problems began with the introduction of the SB2C-3 beginning in 1944, which used the R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone engine with 1,900 

atomic bombs and the official Japanese surrender
, and in the immediate pre-occupation period.

An oddity of the SB2Cs with 1942 to 1943-style tricolor camouflage was that the undersides of the outer wing panels carried dark topside camouflage because the undersurfaces were visible from above when the wings were folded.

In operational experience, it was found that the U.S. Navy's Grumman F6F Hellcat and Vought F4U Corsair fighters were able to carry an equally heavy bomb load against ground targets and were vastly more capable of defending themselves against enemy fighters.[18] The Helldiver, however, could still deliver ordnance with more precision against specific targets and its two-seat configuration permitted a second set of eyes. A Helldiver also has a significant advantage in range over a fighter while carrying a bombload, which is extremely important in naval operations.

The advent of air-to-ground rockets ensured that the SB2C was the last purpose-built dive bomber produced.[18] Rockets allowed precision attack against surface naval and land targets, while avoiding the stresses of near-vertical dives and the demanding performance requirements that they placed on dive bombers.[7]

U.S. Navy Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldivers of Attack Squadron 1A (VA-1A) "Tophatters" roll into dives to support amphibious forces during postwar landing exercise (1947)

The SB2C remained in active postwar service in active duty US Navy squadrons until 1947 and in Naval Reserve aviation units until 1950. Surplus aircraft were sold to the naval air forces of France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Thailand. Greek SB2Cs served in combat in the Greek Civil War with additional machine guns mounted in wing pods. French SB2Cs flew in the First Indochina War from 1951 to 1954.

US Army and US Marine Corps service

Built at Curtiss' St. Louis plant, 900 aircraft were ordered by the

USAAF under the designation A-25A Shrike.[19] The first ten aircraft had folding wings, while the remainder of the production order omitted this feature. Many other changes distinguished the A-25A, including larger main wheels, a pneumatic tailwheel, ring and bead gunsight, longer exhaust stubs, and other Army-specified radio equipment. By late 1943, when the A-25A was being introduced, the USAAF no longer had a role for the dive bomber, as fighter aircraft such as the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
had shown their ability to carry out tactical air support missions with great success.

The USAAF transferred 410 Helldivers to the

Enjebi (a.k.a. Engebi/Enjibe; part of Enewetak Atoll) conducted bombing missions on bypassed Japanese strongpoints nearby. Otherwise, the SB2C-1 variant never saw combat, and was used primarily as a trainer and target tug.[19]

Australian service

A69-4, the only Curtiss Shrike to enter RAAF service

At an early stage of World War II, the Australian government noted that the

Lend Lease aid.[21]

By November 1943, when the first shipment of 10 Shrikes arrived in Australia, the RAAF had decided that dive bombing was an outmoded tactic.

Vultee Vengeance dive bombers, which were already in service with the RAAF, were being replaced by light bombers. As a result, the order for the remaining 140 Shrikes was cancelled.[21]

While the 10 aircraft received were taken on strength, with the RAAF serial prefix A69, only one of these Shrikes officially took to the air in RAAF service.[21][22] A69-4 was assigned to No. 1 Air Performance Unit, for performance testing, between December 1943 and April 1944. The RAAF and US Fifth Air Force already operated a joint pool of aircraft types common to both services in the South West Pacific theatre and, by mid-January 1944, the other nine Shrikes had been transferred to USAAF units.[21] A69-4 was also transferred to the USAAF in December 1944.[21][22]

British service

The Helldiver's service with the British resembled Australian experience with the type. A total of 26 aircraft, out of 450 ordered, were delivered to the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, where they were known as the Helldiver I. After unsatisfactory tests by the A&AEE that pinpointed "appalling handling", none of the British Helldivers were used in action.[23]

Greek service

Further information: Air operations during the Greek Civil War

American aid provided the

336th Bomber Squadron (336 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού).[24]

Greek SB2C-5 Helldivers had minor changes for their COIN operations: the hard rubber tailwheel (for carrier use) was replaced by a bigger pneumatic tire for use on landing strips; and the rear gunner station and its twin MGs were deleted, as no aerial opposition existed and weight reduction was used for bombs and extra machine guns.

Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldivers, Supermarine Spitfires, and North American T-6D/Gs were used in ground-attack missions against Communist ground forces, camps, and transports during the last stages of the Greek Civil War.[25][26]

Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldivers saw a relatively brief combat service and were gradually phased out by 1953.[24] A few were in use until 1957 as photographic aircraft. One Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver was restored in 1997 and is displayed in the Hellenic Air Force Museum.[27]

French service

Helldivers on the flight deck of the French aircraft carrier Arromanches in 1951. At this time the ship was operating off Indochina.

Between 1949 and 1954, France bought 110 SB2C-5 Helldiver aircraft to replace their aging SBD-5 Dauntless that had been flying in combat in Vietnam.

Aeronavale
flew the Helldiver from 1951 to 1958.

Some of these aircraft were allotted to flottilles 3F and 9F stationed on board the carriers

La Fayette, during the First Indochina War. The Helldivers were used to support French troops on the ground during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
in 1954.

Variants

XSB2C-1
Prototype powered by a 1,700 hp (1,268 kW) R-2600-8 engine
SB2C-1
Production version for United States Navy with four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) wing guns and one 0.30 in (7.62 mm) dorsal gun, 200 built.
SB2C-1A
Original designation for United States Army Air Corps version which became A-25A later used for 410 A-25As transferred to the United States Marine Corps.
SB2C-1C
SB2C-1 with two 20 mm (0.79 in) wing-mounted cannons and hydraulically operated flaps, 778 built. First to see combat.
XSB2C-2
One SB2C-1 fitted with twin floats in 1942.
SB2C-2
Production float plane version, 287 cancelled and not built.
XSB2C-3
One SB2C-1 re-engined with a 1,900 hp (1,417 kW) R-2600-20.
SB2C-3
As SB2C-1c re-engined with a 1,900 hp (1,417 kW) R-2600-20 and four-bladed propeller, 1,112 built.
SB2C-3E
SB2C-3s fitted with
APS-4
radar.
SB2C-4
SB2C-1c but fitted with wing racks for eight 5 in (127 mm) rockets or 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs, 2,045 built.
SB2C-4E
SB2C-4s fitted with APS-4 radar.
XSB2C-5
Two SB2C-4s converted as prototypes for -5 variant.
SB2C-5
SB2C-4 with increased fuel capacity, frameless sliding canopy, tailhook fixed in extended position, and deletion of the ASB radar, 970 built (2,500 cancelled).
XSB2C-6
Two SB2C-1Cs fitted with 2,100 hp (1,566 kW) R-2600-22 engine and increased fuel capacity.
SBF-1
Canadian built version of the SB2C-1, 50 built by Fairchild-Canada
SBF-3
Canadian built version of the SB2C-3, 150 built by Fairchild-Canada.
SBF-4E
Canadian built version of the SB2C-4E, 100 built by Fairchild-Canada.
SBW-1
Canadian built version of the SB2C-1, 38 built by Canadian Car & Foundry company.
SBW-1B
Canadian built version for lend-lease to the Royal Navy as the Helldiver I, 28 aircraft built by Canadian Car & Foundry company.
SBW-3
Canadian built version of the SB2C-3, 413 built by Canadian Car & Foundry company.
SBW-4E
Canadian built version of the SB2C-4E, 270 built by Canadian Car & Foundry company.
U.S. Army Air Force A-25 Shrike (AAF Ser. No. 41-18787) in flight.
SBW-5
Canadian-built version of the SB2C-5, 85 built (165 cancelled) by the Canadian Car & Foundry company.
A-25A Shrike
United States Army Air Corps version without arrester gear or folding wings and equipment changed, 900 built
Helldiver I
Royal Navy designation for 28 Canadian-built SBW-1Bs

Operators

 Australia
 France
  • Aviation Navale
A preserved Greek SB2C-5.
 Greece
  • Royal Hellenic Air Force
 Italy
 Portugal
 Thailand
Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum.
 United Kingdom
 United States

Surviving aircraft

Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver (Commemorative Air Force)

NOTE: All surviving aircraft identified by original US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) Bureau Numbers (BuNo).

Greece

On display
SB2C-5

Thailand

On display
SB2C-5

United States

Airworthy
SB2C-5
  • 83589 - based at the Commemorative Air Force (West Texas Wing) in Houston, Texas. This late-production Helldiver, built in 1945, makes frequent airshow appearances. In 1982, it experienced engine failure and a hard emergency landing that caused extensive damage; volunteers of the CAF put in thousands of hours and spent in excess of $200,000 to restore the aircraft to flying condition once more. As of 2024, it is still the only flying example in the world.[33][34]
On display
SB2C-5
Under restoration or in storage
A-25A Shrike/SB2C-1A
SB2C-3
SB2C-4
  • 19866 - in storage at the
    San Diego, California after engine failure during a training exercise. Both pilot E.D. Frazer and his passenger escaped uninjured, but the Helldiver sank in 90 ft. of water. The aircraft was discovered in February 2010 by a fisherman and recovered on 20 August 2010 for restoration.[39]
SB2C-5
Wrecks

Specifications (SB2C-4 Helldiver)

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver 3-view drawing

Data from United States Navy Aircraft since 1911[48]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 36 ft 8 in (11.18 m)
  • Wingspan: 49 ft 9 in (15.16 m)
  • Height: 13 ft 2 in (4.01 m)
  • Wing area: 422 sq ft (39.2 m2)
  • Airfoil: root: NACA 23017; tip: NACA 23009[49]
  • Empty weight: 10,547 lb (4,784 kg)
  • Gross weight: 16,616 lb (7,537 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 ×
    Wright R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone
    14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,900 hp (1,400 kW)
  • Propellers: 4-bladed constant-speed propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 295 mph (475 km/h, 256 kn) at 16,700 ft (5,100 m)
  • Cruise speed: 158 mph (254 km/h, 137 kn)
  • Combat range: 1,165 mi (1,875 km, 1,012 nmi) with 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb-load
  • Service ceiling: 29,100 ft (8,900 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,800 ft/min (9.1 m/s)

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Ethell 1995, p. 221.
  2. ISBN 1875671080
    .
  3. ^ O'Rourke, G.G, CAPT USN. "Of Hosenoses, Stoofs, and Lefthanded Spads." United States Naval Institute Proceedings, July 1968.
  4. ^ Shettle 2001, p. 29.
  5. ^ Winchester 2004, p. 63.
  6. ^ "SB2C Helldiver Curtiss dive bomber: "Helldiver!" What a great name!" acepilots.com. Retrieved: 18 March 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Guttman, Robert. "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver: The Last Dive Bomber," p. 3. Archived 2011-06-12 at the Wayback Machine Aviation History via historynet.com, July 2000. Retrieved: 18 March 2010.
  8. ^ Abzug and Larrabee 1997, p. 92.
  9. ^ Bowers 1979, p. 424.
  10. ^ Donald 1995, pp. 76–77.
  11. ^ Bowers 1979, pp. 424–425.
  12. ^ Taylor 1969, p. 480.
  13. ^ a b Goebel, Greg. "The Douglas SBD Dauntless & Curtiss SB2C Helldiver." Vector site, 1 November 2010.
  14. ^ Winchester 2004, p. 62.
  15. ^ "Curtiss SBW-1B Helldiver (Curtiss SB2C Helldiver)". fleetairarmarchive.net. Archived from the original on 2010-06-19. Retrieved 18 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ Tillman 1997, p. 61.
  17. ^ Guttman, Robert. "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver: The Last Dive Bomber", p. 4. Archived 2011-01-13 at the Wayback Machine Aviation History via historynet.com, July 2000. Retrieved: 18 March 2011.
  18. ^ a b Guttman, Robert. "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver: The Last Dive Bomber", p. 6. Archived 2011-01-13 at the Wayback Machine Aviation History via historynet.com, July 2000. Retrieved: 18 March 2010.
  19. ^ a b Stern 1982, p. 15.
  20. ^ "A69 Curtiss Shrike". RAAF Museum Point Cook. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d e Wilson 1994, p. 85
  22. ^ a b "RAAF A69 Curtiss A-25A Shrike". ADF-serials. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  23. ^ Winchester 2004, pp. 62–63.
  24. ^ a b "Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver". Hellenic Air Force. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  25. ^ "Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB/VC, Mk IX Lf/HF, Mk XVI." Hellenic Air Force, 2012. Retrieved: 9 August 2012.
  26. ^ "North American Aviation T-6G." Hellenic Air Force, 2012. Retrieved: 9 August 2012.
  27. ^ "Hellenic Air Force Museum Exhibits." Archived 2012-03-18 at the Wayback Machine Hellenic Air Force, 2012. Retrieved: 9 August 2012.
  28. ^ Sherman, Stephen. "SB2C Helldiver Curtiss dive bomber." Ace Pilots, 23 January 2012. Retrieved: 9 August 2012.
  29. ^ aeroflight
  30. ^ a b World Air Forces – Historical Listings Thailand (THL), archived from the original on 25 January 2012, retrieved 30 August 2012
  31. ^ "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver/83321." aerialvisuals.ca Retrieved: 18 August 2017.
  32. ^ "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver/83410" aerialvisuals.ca. Retrieved: 18 August 2017.
  33. ^ "Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver/83589." Commemorative Air Force. Retrieved: 18 August 2017.
  34. ^ "FAA Registry: N92879." FAA.gov Retrieved: 15 July 2021.
  35. ^ "Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver/83479" Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Retrieved: 14 July 2021.
  36. ^ "Curtiss A-25 Shrike/75552" Complete Aircraft List. Retrieved: 13 July 2021.
  37. ^ "Curtiss A-25 Shrike/76805" National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved: 18 August 2017.
  38. ^ "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver/19075" Yanks Air Museum Retrieved: 17 August 2017.
  39. ^ "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver/19866." Warbird Directory: Curtiss Page 2 Retrieved: 21 September 2022.
  40. ^ "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver/83393" Fagen Fighters & Warhawks, Inc. Retrieved: 18 August 2017.
  41. ^ [1][permanent dead link]
  42. ^ Dyer, Sean. "Maui Helldiver dive bomber wreck dive SB2C-1C." Archived 2018-08-13 at the Wayback Machine bbscuba.com. Retrieved: 23 April 2010.
  43. ^ "Accident report." Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine US Navy via bbscuba.com. Retrieved: 23 April 2010.
  44. ^ Loomis. Ilima. "WWII-era plane ID’d." mauinews.com, 4 April 2010. Retrieved: 23 April 2010.
  45. ^ "Navy WWII Aircraft Found in Tillamook County, Oregon." Archived 2010-03-28 at the Wayback Machine oregon.gov. Retrieved: 25 March 2010.
  46. ^ Tobias, Lori. "Former mechanic at the Navy Air Base in Tillamook remembers 62-year-old crash near Rockaway Beach." oregonlive.com, 26 March 2010. Retrieved: 23 August 2010.
  47. ^ "NHHC Underwater Archaeology Branch and MDSU2 Survey SB2C Helldiver Wreck." 24 May 2012. Retrieved: 7 May 2013.
  48. ISBN 0870217925
    .
  49. ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  50. ^ Donald 1995, pp. 80–151.

Bibliography

External links

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