Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Dive bomber introduced in 1942

Overview

Curtiss United States ICAO: SB2C 1942–1945 Active

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver also named the A-25 Strike, was built by the American company Curtiss-Wright in the Second World War. The aircraft was a replacement of the Douglas SBD Dauntless as a carrier-based bomber in service with the United States Navy. It performed its maiden flight in December 1940, was introduced in 1942, and was retired in 1959. The aircraft was produced from 1943 to 1945 with a total number of 7,140 Helldivers built.

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Specifications

Units
Engine
1 × Wright R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone
Engine type
Piston
Power
1,900 hp · 1,417 kW
Avionics
—
Wing tips
No winglets
Seats
2
Crew
—
Cabin width
—
Cabin height
—
Cabin length
—
Exterior length
36 ft 8 in  ·  11.18 m
Tail height
16 ft 11 in  ·  5.16 m
Fuselage diameter
4 ft 7 in  ·  1.40 m
Wing span
49 ft 9 in  ·  15.16 m
Baggage volume
—
Gross weight
—
Empty weight
—
Max takeoff weight
17,000 lb  ·  7,700 kg
Max landing weight
16,600 lb  ·  7,550 kg
Max payload
3,300 lb  ·  1,500 kg
Fuel capacity
360 gal · 1,300 L · 1,000 kg (AvGas)
Max cruise speed
256 kt  ·  295 mph  ·  474 km/h
Maximum speed
—
Cruise speed
—
Approach speed
77 kt  ·  89 mph  ·  143 km/h
Range
1,012 nm  ·  1,160 mi  ·  1,870 km
Fuel burn
—
Ceiling
29,100 ft  ·  8,900 m
Rate of climb
1,800 ft/min  ·  9 m/s
Takeoff distance
580 ft  ·  180 m
Landing distance
—
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Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (Commemorative Air Force)

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Operational Context

The SB2C Helldiver can carry two crew members. It has an exterior length of 11.18 meters, an exterior height of 4.01 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 1.4 meters. The tail height is 5.16 meters and the wheelbase is 6.55 meters. It has a wingspan of 15.16 meters and a wing area of 39.2 square meters. The empty weight is 4,784 kg, the gross weight is 7,537 kg, and the maximum payload is 1,500 kg. It has a fuel tank capacity of 355 US gal.

The aircraft is fitted with a single Wright R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone engine. It is a fourteen-cylinder supercharged air-cooled two-row radial piston engine with two pushrod-actuated valves per cylinder with a sodium-cooled exhaust valve, a single-stage two-speed centrifugal-type supercharger, a Stromberg downdraft carburetor with automatic mixture control, a dry-sump with one pressure pump and two scavenge pumps oil system, and an air-cooling system. The engine produces a maximum takeoff thrust of 1,900 hp and drives a four-bladed constant-speed propeller.

The SB2C Helldiver has a maximum speed of 256 knots at 16,700 feet and a cruise speed of 137 knots. The combat range is 1,012 nautical miles with 450 kg of bomb load. It can fly up to 29,100 feet and can climb at a rate of 1,800 feet per minute. The takeoff distance is 178 meters.

The aircraft could be armed with two 20 mm AN/M2 cannon located in the wings, two 7.6 mm M1919 Browning medium machine guns in the rear cockpit, and four 13 mm M2 Browning heavy machine guns- two each in gun pods mounted on the underwing hardpoints. It is also armed with eight 130 mm high-velocity aircraft rockets (HVAR) and 910 kg of bombs in the internal bay or a single Mark 13-2 aerial torpedo. A 230 kg of bombs were loaded on underwing hardpoints.

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