CURTISS SB2C HELLDIVER
Photo furnished by Gerald F. Clement Jr. |
Carrier based dive bomber. The SB2C was designed to combine a powerful engine and a large weapons load in a small airframe, as required for carrier operations. The SB2C was compact and dense, and its fuselage was inordinately small compared with the large wings and tail. The bad handling characteristics earned this dive bomber uncomplimentary nicknames. Its performance was little better than that of the older SBD. Nevertheless the USN fought several major battles with it, and over 7000 were built.
The Helldiver was designed as a carrier based bomber. It was designed compact enough so two plane could be loaded on a carriers elevator at one time. Because of this it had a rather short body for a plane carrying a 2000 horse class engine.
| Type | SB2C-4 |
| Function | dive bomber |
| Year | 1943 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Engines | 1 Wright R-2600-20 |
| Wing Span | 15.16m |
| Length | 11.18m |
| Height | 4.01m |
| Wing Area | 39.20m2 |
| Empty Weight | 4784kg |
| Max.Weight | 7537kg |
| Speed | 475km/h |
| Ceiling | 8900m |
| Range | 3100km |
| Armament | 2*g20mm, 2*mg12.7mm, 907kg |
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Revised: June 30, 2010