SB2C Helldiver - Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

SB2C Helldiver - Curtiss SB2C Helldiver SB2C Helldiver - Specifications: General Length: 36 ft. 9 in. Wingspan: 49 ft. 9 in. Tallness: 14 ft. 9 in. Wing Area: 422 sq. ft. Void Weight: 10,114 lbs. Stacked Weight: 13,674 lbs. Group: 2 Number Built: 7,140 Execution Force Plant: 1 Ãâ€"Wright R-2600 spiral motor, 1,900 hp Range: 1,200 miles Max Speed: 294 mph Ceiling: 25,000 ft Deadly implement Weapons: 2 Ãâ€"20 mm (.79 in) gun in the wings, 2 Ãâ€"0.30 in M1919 Browning automatic rifles in back cockpit Bombs/Torpedo: Internal inlet - 2,000 lbs. of bombs or 1 Mark 13 torpedo, Underwing Hard Points - 2 x 500 lb. bombs SB2C Helldiver - Design Development: In 1938, the US Navys Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) circled a solicitation for recommendations for a for a cutting edge plunge plane to supplant the new SBD Dauntless. In spite of the fact that the SBD presently couldn't seem to enter administration, BuAer looked for an airplane with more prominent speed, range, and payload. Also, it was to be fueled by the new Wright R-2600 Cyclone motor, have an inward bomb sound, and be of a size that two of the airplane could fit on a bearers lift. While six organizations submitted passages, BuAer chose Curtiss structure as the victor in May 1939. Assigned the SB2C Helldiver, the plan promptly started indicating issues. Early air stream testing in February 1940 found the SB2C to have an unnecessary slow down speed and poor longitudinal security. While endeavors to fix the slow down speed included expanding the size of the wings, the last issue introduced more noteworthy issues and was a consequence of BuAers demand that two airplane have the option to fit on a lift. This constrained the length of the airplane in spite of the reality it was to have more force and a more noteworthy inside volume than its ancestor. The consequence of these increments, without an expansion long, was precariousness. As the airplane couldn't be extended, the main arrangement was to expand its vertical tail, which was done twice during improvement. One model was built and first flew on December 18, 1940. Worked in a regular manner, the airplane had a semi-monocoque fuselage and two-fight, four-area wings. The underlying combat hardware comprised of two .50 cal. automatic weapons mounted in the cowling just as one in each wing. This was enhanced by twin .30 cal. automatic rifles on an adaptable mounting for the radio administrator. The inward bomb cove could convey a solitary 1,000 lb. bomb, two 500 lb. bombs, or a torpedo. SB2C Helldiver - Problems Persist: Following the underlying flight, issues stayed with the structure as bugs were found in the Cyclone motors and the SB2C indicated unsteadiness at rapid. After an accident in February, flight testing proceeded through the fall until December 21 when the traditional and stabilizer gave out during a plunge test. The accident adequately grounded the sort for a half year as the issues were tended to and the main creation airplane manufactured. At the point when the first SB2C-1 flew on June 30, 1942, it joined an assortment of changes which expanded its weight by almost 3,000 lbs. also, diminished its speed by 40 mph. SB2C Helldiver - Production Nightmares: In spite of the fact that discontent with this drop in execution, BuAer was excessively dedicated to the program to pull out and had to push ahead. This was halfway because of a previous request that the airplane be mass-created to envision wartime needs. Thus, Curtiss had gotten orders for 4,000 airplane before the main creation type flew. With the main creation airplane rising up out of their Columbus, OH plant, Curtiss found a progression of issues with the SB2C. These produced such huge numbers of fixes that a subsequent mechanical production system was worked to quickly adjust recently constructed airplane to the most recent norm. Traveling through three adjustment plans, Curtiss couldn't fuse the entirety of the progressions into the fundamental mechanical production system until 600 SB2Cs were constructed. Notwithstanding the fixes, different adjustments to the SB2C arrangement incorporated the expulsion of the .50 automatic rifles in the wings (the cowl weapons had been evacuated before) and supplanting them with 20mm gun. Creation of the - 1 arrangement finished in spring 1944 with the change to the - 3. The Helldiver was worked in variations through - 5 with key changes being the utilization of an all the more impressive motor, four-bladed propeller, and the expansion of wing racks for eight 5 in. rockets. SB2C Helldiver - Operational History: The notoriety of the SB2C was notable before the sort started showing up later than expected 1943. Thus, many cutting edge units effectively opposed surrendering their SBDs for the new airplane. Because of its notoriety and appearance, the Helldiver immediately earned the epithets Son of a Bitch second Class, Big-Tailed Beast, and just Beast. Among the issues set forward by groups as to the SB2C-1 was that it was underpowered, ineffectively constructed, had a defective electrical framework, and required broad support. First conveyed with VB-17 on board USS Bunker Hill, the sort entered battle on November 11, 1943 during assaults on Rabaul. It was not until spring 1944 that the Helldiver started to show up in bigger numbers. Seeing battle during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the sort had a blended appearing the same number of had to dump during the long return trip after dim. Notwithstanding this loss of airplane, it sped the appearance of improved SB2C-3s. Turning into the US Navys chief plunge plane, the SB2C saw activity during the rest of the contentions fights in the Pacific including Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Helldivers additionally partook in assaults on the Japanese territory. As later variations of the airplane improved, numerous pilots came to have a hesitant regard for the SB2C refering to its capacity to continue overwhelming harm and remain up high, its enormous payload, and longer range. Regardless of its initial issues, the SB2C demonstrated a viable battle airplane and may have been the best jump aircraft flown by the US Navy. The sort was likewise the last intended for the US Navy as activities late in the war progressively indicated that contenders furnished with bombs and rockets were as viable as committed jump aircraft and didn't require air predominance. In the years after World War II, the Helldiver was held as the US Navys prime assault airplane and acquired the torpedo shelling job recently filled by the Grumman TBF Avenger. The sort kept on flying until it was at long last supplanted by the Douglas A-1 Skyraider in 1949. SB2C Helldiver - Other Users: Viewing the accomplishment of the German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka during the beginning of World War II, the US Army Air Corps started searching for a jump aircraft. As opposed to look for another structure, the USAAC went to existing kinds then being used with the US Navy. Requesting an amount of SBDs under the assignment A-24 Banshee, they additionally made arrangements to buy an enormous number of altered SB2C-1s under the name A-25 Shrike. Between late 1942 and mid 1944 900 Shrikes were constructed. Having re-surveyed their requirements dependent on battle in Europe, the US Army Air Forces found these airplane were not required and turned many back to the US Marine Corps while some were held for optional jobs. The Helldiver was likewise flown by the Royal Navy, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Australia, and Thailand. French and Thai SB2Cs saw activity against the Viet Minh during the First Indochina War while Greek Helldivers were utilized to assault Communist extremists in the late 1940s. The last country to utilize the airplane was Italy which resigned their Helldivers in 1959. Chosen Sources Expert Pilot: SB2C HelldiverMilitary Factory: SB2C Helldiver Warbird Alley: SB2C Helldiver