The Navy's Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Was Flawed, But It Sank Japanese Warships. The SB2C Helldiver was a dive bomber designed by Curtiss to replace the aging Douglas Dauntless. $85.00. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver would have been the U.S. Navy’s frontline carrier-based dive bomber for much of World War II, but problems with its development delayed its introduction and saddled it with a bad reputation. It saw an opportunity to improve a plane that had competed with the SBC for the Navy contract: the monoplane Northrop BT-1. * Ribbons not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. The aircraft was a replacement of the Douglas SBD Dauntless as a carrier-based bomber in service with the United States Navy. It joined the U.S. Naval fleet in 1943 and was used alongside the Douglas Dauntless in bombing operations. Curtiss SBC Helldiver 1934: CARRIER-BASED SCOUT-BOMBER: Virtual Aircraft Museum / USA / Curtiss : Requiring a new two-seat fighter, the US Navy ordered a prototype from Curtiss in 1932 under the designation XF12C-1. Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver . Though Curtiss had made numerous changes, the -1 production model still suffered from a number of difficulties. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a US Navy dive bomber used during World War II. In December that year, it suffered an in-flight wing failure that destroyed it without ever being turned over to the Navy for testing. From September through December 1945, this aircraft was assigned to Bombing Squadron (VB) 92, the “Battling Beasts,” aboard the U.S.S. To make matters worse, Curtiss was producing the Helldiver at a brand-new plant, which caused its own delays. Collections specialists began work in early 2013 by examining, documenting, and cleaning sections of the aircraft prior to restoration. Subsequently, while further improved SB2C-4 and -5 models (deliveries beginning late 1944 and early 1945, respectively) began living up to the promise of the Helldiver’s design, the era of the dedicated dive-bomber was coming to an end. Though the U.S. Navy was the primary customer, both the British navy and the Australian air force placed orders for Helldivers. Det finns inga varor i din varukorg. $109.99. But while the Helldiver could fold its wings to save space, little could be done about the length: it was only two feet, four inches longer than the Dauntless. The U.S. Army Air Forces ordered some three thousand as the A-25 Shrike (which omitted the wing fold and tailhook, along with other minor differences from the SB2C). The Helldiver did not make its combat debut until November 1943, in a raid on the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul. 1996.253.094 Even as the Navy placed its first orders for the biplane SBC in 1936, the Navy was already looking for a monoplane to replace it. Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Taking its name from an earlier Curtiss type, the Helldiver was a powerful, modern dive-bomber designed to undertake a variety of combat missions. It performed its maiden flight in December 1940, was introduced in 1942, and was retired in 1959. The Helldiver would remain in Navy and Marine Corps service until 1950, but after the war, the U.S. sold surplus Helldivers to the navies of Italy, Portugal, Thailand, Greece, and France. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. The early design was underpowered, handled poorly, and was not well accepted by those who flew it. Accordingly, the new airplane was designated SBD, the Dauntless. Naval Aviation at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The lone XSB2C-1 prototype’s maiden flight was December 18, 1940, but it crashed in February 1941 and had to be rebuilt. Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. The resulting aircraft, designated the XF12C-1, flew in 1933. By the end of the war, changes in technology meant other aircraft could deliver an equal or greater ordnance load with comparable accuracy, eliminating the need for a specialized dive bomber. Smithsonian Voices National Air and Space Museum. or Vice-Adm. John McCain, who commanded the fast carrier task force (TF 38) for the last year of the war, declared that there was “no place for a plane with the performance of the SB2C” on the carriers. The Navy, however, only expected it to be a stopgap for what would come next. Navy practice at this time was to wait until a prototype had been tested before placing any orders. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, also known as the Curtiss A-25 Shrike, was a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright during World War II. At the same time, the Grumman TBF / Eastern Division TBM Avenger torpedo bomber proved itself equally capable as a level bomber. The Helldiver was developed in 1940 but suffered setbacks until it finally entered service. In his opinion, the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair fighter-bombers were better suited to the job. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. Curtiss redesignated the plane XS4C-1 and then XSBC-1, in hopes of having it accepted as a scout bomber. The U.S. Navy would not accept the SB2C until 880 modifications to the design and the changes on the production line had been made, delaying the Curtiss Helldiver's combat debut until November 11, 1943 with squadron VB-17 on the USS Bunker Hill, when they attacked the Japanese-held port of Rabaul on the island of New Britain, north of Papua New Guinea. Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar. Of the 46 lost, 32 ran out of gas and crashed or ditched. As a carrier-based bomber with the United States Navy (USN), in Pacific theaters, it supplemented and replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. During the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Adm. Marc Mitscher launched a strike force against the Japanese carriers that included 51 SB2C-1C Helldivers and 26 Dauntlesses. The United States Navy, content with the latest Curtiss-Wright offering, contracted the company to deliver some 83 SBC-3 "Helldiver" production-quality aircraft - … The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. Unfortunately, the Navy’s gamble did not pay off; Curtiss’ Helldiver faced a long developmental road. The Navy’s requirements for this new monoplane dive bomber were challenging: it had to be able to carry a significant weight of weaponry internally while incorporating specific equipment and structural features within an airframe small enough to fit two on the elevators of the new Essex class carriers. | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com. Curtiss manufactured 900 fixed-wing A-25 dive bombers at its St. Louis, Missouri, factory under contract to the Army Air Forces with final delivery to the Marine Corps. The resulting tests yielded the new Model 77B to which the US Navy appended the designation of SBC-4 to. Large scale production was quickly authorised and it entered US Navy service in 1942. Laurence M. Burke II is the curator of U.S. The -5 also carried over changes from earlier models such as a more powerful engine (1900 hp / 1417 kw vs. 1500 hp / 1119 kw in the -1), a four-bladed electric propeller, perforated dive brakes to improve handling, and wing racks for additional bombs or rockets. 1/48 scale Kit No. Right side view of the Curtiss-Wright SBC Helldiver at rest, Right side view of the Curtiss-Wright SBC Helldiver aircraft at rest, Front right side view of the Curtiss-Wright SBC Helldiver aircraft in flight; note droptank, Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: bomb, radial engine, cockpit floor and … The U.S. Navy accepted NASM’s Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver (BuNo 83479 and Cat# A19610118000) on May 19, 1945, at the Curtiss factory in Columbus, Ohio. The SBC-3 entered Navy service in 1937 and was the last biplane combat aircraft to see Navy service. Following an overhaul at the beginning of 1947, the airplane served in Aviation Training Unit #4 (VA-ATU #4) at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida until 1948, when the Navy removed it from active service and set it aside for the Smithsonian. Its chosen role was changed first to a scout, and then to a scout-bomber (being redesignated XS4C-1 and XSBC-1 respectively), but the XSBC-1's parasol wing was unsuitable for dive bombing. The SBC designation had originally been … By this time, Europe was completely engulfed in a war that would soon spread beyond its borders. Media in category "Curtiss SBC Helldiver" This category contains only the following file. Curtiss worked on improving the base SBC-3 series design and set one airframe aside for such work. Keep up-to-date on: , which is on display at our Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The US Navy signed a production contract for 174 examples of this mount on January 5th, 1938 with the first deliveries beginning in March of1939 followed by formal service entry. (Showcased performance values pertain to the, (Showcased armament details pertain to the. The US Navy designated the prototype as XF12C-1. Designed under the direction of Raymond C. Blaylock, the XF12C-1 first flew in early 1933, but by the end of the year the Navy had selected the Grumman FF-1 and FF-2 biplanes for the two-seat fighter role. The Curtiss SBC Helldiver was a pre-Second World War US Navy dive bomber that remained in service just long enough to see limited use in the early days of the war. Despite these issues, the SB2C Helldiver saw extensive service during the last two years of the war. Once assigned to carriers, it had tailwheel and hook failures that limited it to service ashore until the problems were addressed. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. In 1932, the U.S. Navy gave Curtiss a contract to design a parasol two-seat monoplane with retractable undercarriage and powered by a Wright R-1510 Whirlwind, intended to be used as a carrier-based fighter. Give a Gift. The Navy accepted BuNo 83479 in May 1945. Whatever the reasons, the Navy broke with protocol and ordered 370 SB2Cs from Curtiss on November 29, 1940, before the first prototype had flown. Curtiss SBC Helldiver Great Britain [1] USA [36] France [3] If You want share profiles of this aircraft with our visitors - mail to webmaster Mail to webmaster. Helldivers were still only slowly replacing Dauntlesses in June 1944 when a defining moment highlighted the aircraft’s weaknesses. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. The SBC was a biplane design that began in 1933 as a two-seat fighter with dive bombing capabilities (XF11C) and was subsequently revised to scout-bomber specifications. Thus, the SB2C was the last dive bomber in the Navy’s inventory. It was finally delivered to the Smithsonian in 1960. The -5 also carried over changes from earlier models such as a more powerful engine (1900 hp / 1417 kw vs. 1500 hp / 1119 kw in the -1), a four-bladed electric propeller, perforated dive brakes to improve handling, and wing racks for additional bombs or rockets. The first production SB2C-1 Helldiver did not fly until June 1942, with the first deliveries to fleet squadrons at the end of that year. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. The SBC Helldiver was mainly used by the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, Royal Air Force, and French Navy. The Model 73 was powered by a single Wright R-1510-92 Whirlwind 14 series radial piston engine and sported a modern retractable undercarriage. 1996.253.094) Even as the Navy placed its first orders for the biplane SBC … It is an SB2C-5, which featured additional fuel tanks and replaced the older ASB surface-search radar with the new APS-4 radar as standard equipment. The aircraft was the last military biplane acquired by the United States Navy. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns/operations. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a rather unassuming dive bomber / reconnaissance aircraft serving throughout World War 2 beginning in 1943. Curtiss fitted a Wright R-1820 Cyclone series radial piston engine to the design and testing of the prototype ensued. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced. The Navy also may have been lulled into taking a chance based on design studies and wind tunnel tests. Vote Now! It just missed the end of the war but saw service in the western Pacific and occupied Japan, its only carrier deployment. Tellingly, only two Dauntlesses were lost: one was shot down and one crashed on landing. Originally designed in a competition to replace the aging SBC biplane series, the SB2C faced off against Brewster's entry - the XSB2A Buccaneer - with the SB2C coming out the eventual winner. More about the Curtiss SBC Helldiver propellers. After the successful introduction of the Junkers Ju-87 dive bombers, there was a rush to for many air forces around the world to build their own dive bombers. It was also easier to fly and did not have the Helldiver’s maintenance problems. One can see history in the Museum’s Helldiver (BuNo 83479), which is on display at our Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced. Nevertheless, the Helldiver’s problems proved too much trouble for these additional customers. 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