Large-scale production had already been ordered on 29 November 1940, but a large number of modifications were specified for the production model. Picture - VB-17 SB2C-1 which lost its tail while landing on USS Bunker Hill in 1943. This second prototype version was also lost when in December 1941 the Helldiver pulled out of a dive and the starboard wing and tailplane failed catastrophically. After the prototype crashed in February 1941, Curtiss was asked to rebuild it with revised structures and shapes. The first prototype flew in December 1940. The Model XSB2C-1 prototype initially suffered teething problems connected to its R-2600 engine and 3-bladed propeller further concerns included structural weaknesses, poor handling, directional instability and bad stall characteristics. Picture - SB2Cs in tricolor scheme (front) on the flight deck of USS Yorktown in 1943. Marines and United States Army Air Forces, the manufacturer incorporated features of a "multi-role" aircraft into the design.
Saddled with demanding requirements set forth by both the U.S. The Helldiver was developed to replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless it was a much larger aircraft able to operate from the latest aircraft carriers of the time and carry a considerable array of armament and featured an internal bomb bay that reduced drag when carrying heavy ordnance. Picture - Curtiss XSB2C Helldiver prototype on its maiden flight
Substantial orders by the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force were both cancelled due to the poor handling of the aircraft.
Built for the USAAF as the A-25 Shrike, by the time it was delivered it was no longer required. Crew nicknames for the aircraft included the Big-Tailed Beast (or just the derogatory Beast), Two-Cee and Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class (after its designation and partly because of its reputation for having difficult handling characteristics).Īlthough production problems persisted throughout its combat service, pilots soon changed their minds about the potency of the Helldiver.ĭelays marred its production. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II.
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