Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was one of those aircraft that was either loved or hated- there was no middle ground. Forged in a hurry for the forthcoming war the Helldiver was designed in a hurry, built by mostly by under skilled personnel while being bombarded by the customer with their extra changes and demands. Even under this pressure Curtiss managed to produce a prototype that flew, even though it would soon reveal strength and build problems. This is what prototypes are for, however, the first production model, the Dash-1, was beset by many problems that saw one carrier captain demanding that the Helldivers be removed and the off loaded Douglas Dauntless dive bombers be reinstated. From the SB2C-3 onwards, after undergoing a full modification programme, a competent combat aircraft would emerge. Used throughout 1944/45 the Helldiver squadrons, now operating from the fast carriers, took the war to the Japanese all the way to Tokyo. Post 1945 the Helldiver would stay on active service until replaced by the Douglas AD-1 Skyraider. Overseas usage would see later build models being operated by France, Greece, Italy ,Portugal and Thailand. The Royal Navy also formed a single squadron that would never deploy on active service. Undergoing flight testing in Britain, Eric 'Winkle' Brown would declare that the Helldiver was the worst aircraft he had ever flown. Artwork and scale drawings by Sam Pearson.