SB2C-3 “112” of VB-7 return to USS Hancock 12 January 1945
SB2C-1 3
SB2C-3 training
Floatplane Curtiss XSB2C-2 29 September 1942
SB2C-1 with wings folded up
Helldivers of VB-8 NAS Norfolk fly over surrounding area December 1943
SB2Cs from USS Lexington (CV-16) over Iwo Jima on D-Day
Helldiver 1943 color photo
SB2C-4 20411 carrying torpedo fitted with a wooden drag ring March 1945
Curtiss XSB2C-6 2
SB2C-1 4
Prototype XSB2C-1
Curtiss XSB2C-6
Helldiver named Grey Ghost
Helldiver Pilot Lt David Kinzer of CAG-1
Helldiver in color
XSB2C-6 4
Lt Alvin Levenson SB2C pilot who fell 1500 ft to the ocean 1945
SB2C-1 in flight
SB2C-3 St Louis
SB2C-3E Helldivers flying in formation
Helldiver takes off from USS Independence CLV-22 August 1945
XSB2C-6 3
SB2C-1 July 1942
SB2C-1 rear view July 1942
Helldiver from USS Shangri-La over Atsugi 28 August 1945
SB2C-5 83520
A-25 Shrike at Wright Field October 1942
SB2Cs 103 and 107 return to USS Hancock 12 January 1945
XSB2C-2 January 1943
Burning Helldiver after crash landing on USS Randolph CV-15
SB2C-1 2
P-40 parked by A-25 Shrike 2CJ
SB2C Helldiver after crash lands on USS Randolph 1945
SB2C-1C of VB-15 ready for launch from carrier USS Essex – 10 May 1944
SB2C-1 Helldiver of VB-17 crashed during recovery aboard the carrier USS Bunker Hill Caribbean on 19 July 1943
Curtiss SB2C-5 of VB-95 on elevator of the carrier Bunker Hill, October 1945
SB2C Helldiver aboard USS Randolph (CV-15) during operations in the Western Pacific in May 1945
Curtiss SB2C-5 of VB-10 in flight near ships of TF-72 during operations off the China coast on 30 September 1945
SB2C-1C from VB-1 USS Yorktown (CV-10) over Chichi Jima on July 6 1944
VB-18 pilot makes final naviagation notes prior to manning his SB2C-3 Helldiver ‘white 70’ aboard USS Intrepid during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944
VB-1 pilot Lt Comdr Joseph Runyan by scoreboard on his SB2C 1944
Curtiss SB2C-1 Helldiver of VB-8 take off from USS Bunker Hill
XSB2C-6 Helldiver January 17, 1945
SB2C-1 on the ground probably at the Curtiss Wright factory in Buffalo 11 January 1943
SB2C ’43’ over the Marshall Islands on October 23, 1945
SB2C-3 of VB-82 after going over the side of the carrier USS Charger (CVE-30) during training operations off the East Coast on 21 June 1944
SB2C Helldivers at St. Louis Missouri ready for delivery in June 1943
Ships in the harbor at Hong Kong under attack by Helldivers
SB2C-5 Helldiver of VB-89 lined up for launch on the flight deck of the carrier USS Antietam 14 August 1945
Lt. Alvin Levenson examines his flak filled SB2C Helldiver
SB2C-1Cs of VB-8 lined up on deck of USS Bunker Hill awaiting the signal to launch for raid on Saipan in June 1944
Curtiss SB2C-1 of VB-17 during approach for recovery aboard USS Bunker Hill Caribbean on 9 July 1943
SB2C-1Cs of VB-1 in flight near Hawaii in 1944
SB2C-1Cs of VB-2 near Saipan during strikes in support of the invasion
SB2C-4E of VB-87 strikes the barricade during recovery on board the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga 10 August 1945
SB2C-1 Helldiver #35 VB-17 USS Bunker Hill
SB2C-3 of VB-6 pictured entagled in the barricade aboard USS Hancock
SB2C-3 of VB-7 over ships of TF 38 following strike against Japanese shipping off the coast of French Indochina in January 1945
SB2C-4E of VB-85 flies near TF 38 arrayed in the background on 17 August 1945
Damaged Helldiver ‘7’ of VB-15 returns to USS Essex after Marcus Island raid May 20, 1944
Curtiss SB2C-3 of VB-87 in flight near NAS Wildwood New Jersey on September 28, 1944
Curtiss SB2C of VB-1 over the carrier USS Yorktown on 26 July 1944
SB2C-4E Helldiver of VB-97 makes crash landing on aircraft carrier Shangri La
SB2C of VB-18 from USS Intrepid blasts Japanese ship at Balanacan Harbor
SB2C of VB-15 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet 2 January 1944
A formation of Curtiss SB2C-4E dive bombers on a training flight. over Ft. Lauderdale Florida 18 May 1945
SB2C-3 of VB-98 in formation near NAAS Ventura County on 23 September 1944
SB2C-3 of VB-17 maneuvers into position for launch from the carrier Hornet (CV-12) on February 16, 1945
Assembly line at the Curtiss Wright plant in Columbus 13 September 1943
Formation of SB2C-1 of VB-17 in flight 26 June 1943
Helldivers of VB-87 and TBM Avengers of VT-87 operating off the carrier USS Randolph (CV-15) in flight off the coast of Venezuela on December 4, 1944
SB2C-4 of VB-12 coming in high during a recovery on board USS Randolph (CV-15) in 1945
SB2C-3 Helldiver of VB-19 on the flight deck of the carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) after returning from a combat mission in the Pacific on August 20, 1944
SB2C-1s of VB-5 pictured on the flight deck of USS Yorktown in 1943
SB2C-1 Helldiver on the ground
Curtiss SB2C white 114 flying over aircraft carrier
SB2C-1C white 35 with tail hook extended
Curtiss XSB2C-1 Helldiver
XSB2C-1 Helldiver in flight
Curtiss SB2C-4E of VB-85 aboard the carrier USS Shangri-La (CV-38) on March 13, 1945
A-25 Shrike 41-18774 in flight over Wright Field
SB2C-1 Helldiver over carrier deck
Curtiss SB2C-4 of VJ-17 in flight near Guam 6 June 1945
Curtiss SB2C-5 974 in flight
SB2C of VB-8 during a training flight 27 December 1943
SB2C-1C of the VB-18 on Peleliu, Fall 1944
Curtiss SB2C-3 on USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) 1944
Helldivers return to carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) after Raid on Guam July 1944
Helldivers bomb installations at Omura Kyushu 1945
Curtiss XSB2C-2 seaplane 29 September 1942
U.S. Army Air Force A-25A-30-CS Shrike 42-80194 with lowered bomb bay doors
Helldivers blast japanese ships at Haha Jima 1944
Lt Kenneth Anderson pilot of CAG 80 from USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
Overhead view of SB2C-1 Helldiver on the ground 1942/1943
Crashed SB2C-3 white 108 onboard USS Ticonderoga January 1945
Curtiss SB2C-3 white 3 of VB-20 USS Enterprise (CV-6)
SB2C from VB-7 attacks Japanese Mogami class cruiser Leyte Gulf
SB2C Helldivers and F4U in flight over aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42)
Curtiss SB2C-1C white 68 Pagan Islands
SB2C-3 of VB-7 USS Hancock during flight operations in 1944
Curtiss SB2C-1C of VB-15 after recovery aboard the carrier USS Essex 20 May 1944
SB2C over Japan 1945
Curtiss SB2C-3 of VB-87 in flight 12 October 1944
Curtiss SB2C-1C V43 BuNo 18251 in flight
SB2C of VB-7 flying over USS Hancock off Formosa on 13 October 1944
Curtiss SB2C-1 Helldiver September 8, 1942
Curtiss XSB2C-1 Helldiver 1941
Helldivers and Avengers during Saipan Invasion
Crashed Curtiss SB2C-3 aboard USS Ticonderoga CV-14 1944
Helldivers in flight over Ranger (CV-4) on April 12, 1945
SB2C Helldiver from USS Franklin (CV-13) flying over Palau Island 1944
Curtiss XSB2C-1 BuNo 1758
SB2C-1 Helldiver dive bomber in flight
Curtiss A-25A-1 Shrike serial 41-18774 delivered for use by USAAF
Curtiss SB2C aboard an escort carrier 1944 PTO
Curtiss SB2C-5 of VB-150 from USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) in flight 23 June 1945
SB2C Helldiver/A-25 Shrike was a carrier-based scout-dive bomber aircraft produced for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The prototype XSB2C-l made its first flight on December 18, 1940.
Variants and serials
XSB2C-1 – (Model 84, BuNo 1758) prototype powered by a 1700 hp (1268 kW) R-2600-8 engine, made its first flight on 18 December, 1940
SB2C-1 – (Model 84, BuNo 00001-00200) first production version for US Navy with 4 x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) wing guns and one 0.30 in (7.62 mm) dorsal gun, 200 built. First flight was on 30 June, 1942.
SB2C-1A – 410 A-25As transferred to the USMC (BuNo 75218-75588, 76780-76818).
SB2C-1C – (Model 84A) identical to the SB2C-1 except for the substitution of two 20 mm wing-mounted cannon in place of the four 12,7 mm machine-guns.SB2C-1 and hydraulically operated flaps. 778 built (BuNo 00201-00370, 01008-01208, 18192-18598).
XSB2C-2 – (Model 84C) one twin-float seaplane.
SB2C-2 – (Model 84D) planned float plane version, 350 cancelled and not built.
XSB2C-3 – (Model 84E, BuNo 00008) one SB2C-1 re-engined with a 1900 hp (1417 kW) R-2600-20.
SB2C-3 – (Model 84E) R-2600-20 engine and four-bladed propeller, 1112 built (BuNo 18599-19710).
SB2C-3E – SB2C-3 fitted with APS-4 radar.
SB2C-4 – (Model 84F) fitted with wing racks for eight 5 in (127 mm) rockets or 1000 lb (454 kg) bombs and improved by perforating the surfaces of the trailing-edge dive flaps. 1985 built (BuNo 19711-21191, 64993-65286, and 82850-83127).
SB2C-4E – fitted with APS-4 radar for night operations.
XSB2C-5 – (Model 84G, BuNo 65286) one SB2C-4 converted as prototype for SB2C-5 variant.
SB2C-5 – (Model 84G) with increased fuel capacity, frameless sliding canopy, tailhook fixed in extended position, and deletion of the ASB radar, 970 built (BuNo 83128-83751, 89120-89465).
XSB2C-6 – (Model 84H) Two SB2C-3s (18620 and 18621) fitted with 2100 hp (1566 kW) R-2600-22 engine and increased fuel capacity. XSB2C-6 had their fuselages lengthened and wingtips squared in an attempt to overcome directional stability problems.
XSBF-1 – Canadian prototype
SBF-1 – Canadian built version of the SB2C-1 (BuNo 31636-31685), 50 built by Fairchild-Canada
SBF-3 – (BuNo 31686-31835) Canadian built version of the SB2C-3, 150 built by Fairchild-Canada.
SBF-4E – (BuNo 31836-31935) Canadian built version of the SB2C-4E, 100 built by Fairchild-Canada.
SBW-1 – Canadian built version of the SB2C-1, 40 built (BuNo 21192-21231) by Canadian Car & Foundry company.
SBW-1B – Canadian built version for lend-lease to the Royal Navy as the Helldiver I, 26 aircraft built by Canadian Car & Foundry company.
SBW-3 – Canadian built version of the SB2C-3, 413 built by Canadian Car & Foundry company (BuNo 21233-21645).
SBW-4E – Canadian built version of the SB2C-4E, 270 built by Canadian Car & Foundry company (serials 21646-21741 and 60036-60209).
SBW-5 – Last Canadian built version of the SB2C-5, 86 built by the Canadian Car & Foundry company (BuNo 60210-60295).
A-25A Shrike (Model 84B)- Army version without arrester gear or folding wings and radio equipment changed. Shrike also used larger wheels and revised armour. 900 built (10 for RAAF as A69-1 – A69-10)
USAAF serials:
A-25A-1-CS 41-18774 – 41-18783
A-25A-5-CS 41-18784 – 41-18823
A-25A-10-CS 41-18824 – 41-18873 and 42-79663 – 42-79672
A-25A-15-CS 42-79673 – 42-79732
A-25A-20-CS 42-79733 – 42-79972
A-25A-25-CS 42-79973 – 42-80132
A-25A-30-CS 42-80133 – 42-80462
Helldiver Mk I (JW100- JW125) – FAA designation for 26 SBW-1Bs
Design and Structure
- Type: Two-seat dive-bomber.
- Wings:
- Configuration: Low-wing cantilever monoplane with four sections. The center panel is in two portions bolted to the fuselage, and the outer wing sections can fold upward for storage.
- Structure: Two-spar stressed skin aluminum-alloy construction.
- Ailerons: Dynamically and statically-balanced, with upper surfaces of metal and lower surfaces covered with fabric.
- Flaps: Split perforated flaps operate both as dive brakes (opening upward and downward) and as landing flaps (lower flaps can operate alone when upper flaps are locked). Wing-tip slats extend when landing gear is lowered.
- Fuselage:
- Construction: Aluminum-alloy semi-monocoque with flush-riveted smooth Alclad skin.
- Tail Unit:
- Type: Cantilever monoplane with fixed surfaces made of aluminum-alloy frames and flush-riveted Alclad skin. Movable surfaces have aluminum-alloy frames and are covered with fabric.
Landing Gear
- Type: Retractable.
- Main Gear: Comprises two Curtiss oleo-pneumatic shock-absorber struts retracting inwardly into the wings. The apertures are closed by fairings attached to the struts and wheels.
- Tail Wheel: Steerable and partly retractable.
- Additional Features: Equipped with deck arrester gear and retractable catapult spools for carrier operations.
Power Plant
- Engine: Wright R-2600-20, a fourteen-cylinder radial air-cooled, geared, and supercharged engine.
- Propeller: Curtiss Electric four-blade constant-speed airscrew.
- Fuel System: Three self-sealing fuel tanks (two in the center-section, one in the fuselage) with provision for an auxiliary tank in the bomb-bay. Protected fuel and oil lines, with an oil tank located in the engine compartment.
Accommodation and Crew
- Cockpits: Enclosed cockpits for the pilot and observer, both equipped with heating, ventilation, and armor protection.
- Additional Features: Auto pilot, inflatable dinghy stored under the canopy forward of the gunner.
Armament
- Guns:
- Wing-mounted: Two 20 mm cannons or four .50 cal. machine guns.
- Rear Gun: One .50 cal. machine gun on a hydraulic mounting in the rear cockpit. The decking aft of the cockpit can collapse to increase the field of fire.
- Bomb Load: Internal bomb stowage with hydraulically-operated bomb doors, and two external bomb racks under the wings.
- Other Equipment: Camera in the rear cockpit for reconnaissance or observation.
Bibliography
- Robert Stern, Don Greer: SB2C Helldiver in action – Squadron/Signal Publications Aircraft No. 54
- Barrett Tillman, Tom Tullis: Helldiver Units of World War 2 – Osprey Combat Aircraft 3
- SBD Dauntless, SB2C Helldiver – Famous Airplanes of the World 40 (japan)
- Bert Kinzey: SB2C Helldiver in detail & scale 52
- Peter C. Smith: Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, Crowood Press
- Aerodata International – U.S. Navy Carrier Bombers of World War II: TBD Devastator SBD Dauntless SB2C Helldiver TBF/TBM Avenger – Squadron/Signal Publications 6205
- Peter M. Bowers: Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947
- Phil H. Listemann: The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in French Service – Allied Wings No 12
- David Doyle: SB2C Helldiver in Action Squadron/Signal Publications 10235
- Harold Andrews: The Curtiss SB2C-1 Helldiver, Aircraft Profile No. 124
- John M. Elliott – The Official Monogram U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide, Vol 2: 1940-1949
- Thomas E. Doll – US Navy Aircraft Camouflage & Markings 1940-1945, Squadron/Signal Publications 6087
- Thomas E. Doll, Barkley R. Jackson: Navy Air Colors: United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aircraft Camouflage and Markings, Vol. 1, 1911-1945 – Squadron/Signal Publications 6159