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Description
| Manufacturer: | Curtiss |
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| Base model: | SB2C | ||
| Designation: | SB2C | ||
| Version: | -5 | ||
| Nickname: | Helldiver | ||
| Designation System: | U.S. Navy / Marines | ||
| Designation Period: | 1934-1946 | ||
| Basic role: | Scout Bomber | ||
Specifications
| Not Yet Available |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| National Museum of Naval Aviation | NAS Pensacola | Florida |
SB2C-5 on display
National Museum of Naval Aviation |
Recent comments by our visitors
| J.price Kilmarnock, VA | As I recall, the SB2C was powered by the Wright R2600 with a 4 blade prop. 12/26/2012 @ 08:02 [ref: 67440] |
| Leonard Wheeler Azle, TX | I want to thank Mr. D. W. Turk of California for his picture of the Helldiver and crews at Cecil Field 1944-1945.
I would like to have Mr. Turk contact me. I would like a copy of this picture. It appears that my father Ray Wheeler, is in the first row 5th from the left. I would appreciate any help Mr. Turk or anyone else could give me in obtaining a copy of this picture. I'm taking my father and my oldest son to Breckenridge Texas tomorrow to the the Commemorative Air Force's Helldiver while it is here for it's annual inspection. Thank you. Leonard Wheeler 817-239-2285 02/04/2008 @ 16:32 [ref: 19551] |
| Charlie Carlson Hurst, Texas, TX | I recall, when located around Boston, MA. (12 yrs old) watching the Helldiver Curtis SB2C, perhaps a -4 or -5
but I built a model of balsa, paper, etc. of that airplane that I was much impressed with.....They were flying out of Squantum Naval Air Station near Dorchester (Boston) perhaps training I assume. The planes would fly over a part of Dorchester I could get to - and was thrilled to see them takeoff and retract the landing gears.....A gunner/observer in the rear of one waved to me once and I thought I was one privelaged youngster.......but, stories I now read do not impart too many kind comments about the ol Helldiver SB2C. Guess the -5 finally imbodied what Curtiss was trying to get at....Could any experienced SB2C pilot say that the -5 was....was a big improvement ??? Charlie Carlson/Hurst/Texas 06/26/2007 @ 06:03 [ref: 16943] |
| george , WA | / (US) (FR)
LENGTH 36 ft 8 in 11. 20 m WINGSPAN 49 ft 9 in 15. 20 m HEIGHT 16 ft 11 in 5. 10m WEIGHTS 11 000 lb (empty)/ 16 607 lb (full) 4 990 kg (empty)/ 7 550 kg (full) MAX SPEED 281 mph 452 km/ h RANGE 1 110 nm 1 786 km OUTPUT 1 700 hp 1 267. 67 kW Weapons It was equipped with : Two 20 mm guns. Two 7, 62 mm guns. Bombs. Mk 13-2 torpedo. 02/18/2006 @ 01:22 [ref: 12537] |
| Gerald Crisman Eastsound, WA | In my book: TWO AND A HALF MISSIONS, MAX, I tell a lot about flying in the SB2C and being a part of Patrol Squadron 8 aboard the GUADALCANAL.
I wish everybody who flew and those who didn't, would get the feeling we did about the Hydraulic Nightmare, the Big Tailed Beast, The under powered over weight SB2C,(Son of a bitch 2nd class). I flew 48 missions in that craft and made it through to tell about it. I saw the only SB2C that is still alive after 52 years of not seeing that craft. That BEAUTIFUL big beauty sitting there proudly waiting to fly again. I flew from Midland Texas to Fredricksburg and back in the craft to a reunion of SB2C crews. It was and amazing event. Never to happen again... we are all too old, and too few.Coodos to Ted Short and the crew that keeps SB2C #32 flying. 04/02/2005 @ 11:47 [ref: 9869] |
| C. Reed Rollins Pensacola, FL | The SB2C-5 Helldiver described in this site bears the same Bureau no. 83479 as the last entry in my flight logbook noted Nov.8, 1945. I was a 19 year old Combat Aircrewman, (Aviation Radioman, gunner, radar operator, observer) in the rear seat of this plane piloted by Lt Hein from the deck of the USS Lexington off the coast approaching Tokyo, Japan. The war had ended so my regular pilot, Lt. Robert Horn had already departed home. I hosted a reunion of VB 92 shipmates here in Pensacola in 1998. The Museum's Hill Goodspeed accomodated our group and we had our pictures taken next to the plane. Our squadron insignia was titled "The Battling Beast" The plane still has the distictive smell. 01/27/2005 @ 11:19 [ref: 9279] |
| ROSS S BRYAN Fort Myers,, FL | AS A CORPSMAN ON THE FLIGHT DECK OF THE USS FRANKLIN FROM THE TIME SHE WAS CHRISTENED UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR, I WAS PRIVELIGED TO WATCH THE SB-2C'S OF OUR AIR GROUP FLY PROUDLY. I ESPECIALLY REMEMBER CMDR KIBBEE OF AIR GROUP 13..
IT WAS A GREAT PLANE FOR ITS TIME AND ALL OF US WERE PROUD TO WATCH THEM FLY,,, ROSS BRYAN RSB1336@AOL.COM 03/04/2004 @ 19:53 [ref: 6899] |
| BOND TULSA, OK | AFTER COMPLETING ADVANCED TRAINING AT "BLOODY CECIL" IN SBD'S I WAS ASSIGNED TO A SQUADRON OF SB2C'S AT WILDWOOD NJ. TO ME THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLUMSY AND CUMBERSOME. IT HAD SUCH A COMPLICATED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM THAT YOU HAD TO FLY WITH ONE HAD ON ONE OF MANY VALVES AND A PILOTS HANDBOOK IN THE OTHER.THE 20MM CANNONS SHOOK THE INSTRUMENTS SO BAD YOU COULDN'T READ THEM AND THE TAIL SECTION HAD A TENDENCY TO SEPERATE FROM THE FUSALAGE. THE ELECTRIC PROP HAD AS HABIT OF GOING INTO LOW PITCH AND REVING THE ENGINE ABOVE LIMITS. I TRANSFERED TO THE PACIFIC THEATER FLYING WITH A HELLCAT
SQUADRON AND WAS A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE! 11/26/2002 @ 12:16 [ref: 6151] |
| Joe Hanchey Punta Gorda, FL |
While stationed at USNAS. North Island California,(1950-1953)I was able to watch R&R rebuild the SB2C Helldivers for delivery to the French Indo China Navy, then load them on Jeep Carriers to be shipped to ? (later called vietnam). You would see these aircraft go into the R&R buildings, be taken apart complete rebuilt and put back together better than new. 06/20/2002 @ 17:35 [ref: 5153] |
| Bob Bartlett Columbia, SC | The Helldiver pictured here has a ship' tail marking of a white diamond. From what I've been told that would be for the USS Franflin, CV-13. Is that correct? On her 2nd cruise, she had VF-5, VB-5, VT-5, VMF-214 (Black Sheep), and VMF-452. VB-5 had Helldivers, VT-5 had Avengers, and the rest had F4U Corsairs. There is a living survivor of VF-5 living in Columbia now. Also, a terrific book about VMF-542 called "Above & Beyond" came out in 1997 and the author lives in Beaufort, SC. My cousin was a survivor of the Franklin and I walked her decks in Aug of '45. Thanks. 09/02/2001 @ 16:27 [ref: 3098] |
Recent photos uploaded by our visitors
