![]() ![]() Only 2 Dauntlesses were lost.īy Unknown author - (single pic), (page), (alt), Public Domain, LinkĪ 5th Helldiver variant was introduced in early 1945, however the need for dive bombers had already waned. Only 5 of the 51 Helldivers returned to land safely on the aircraft carriers 32 ran out of gas. In June 1944 during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Helldiver’s weaknesses were further highlighted when a strike force that included 51 SB2C-1C Helldivers and 26 Dauntlesses was launched against the Japanese carriers. In 1944, a revised variant with a more powerful engine and 4-blade propeller was introduced. The Helldiver performed poorly, especially compared to the reliable and trusted Dauntless, and further revisions were needed to fully replace the Dauntless. These alterations raised the empty weight by 42%. Some changes were made to the armament and fuselage, but most of the changes were an attempt to fix the bad handling of the plane. Nearly 880 alterations were made before the Navy was satisfied with the Helldiver. The Navy might have canceled the development altogether except that the Japanese had just attacked Pearl Harbor and the Helldiver was sorely needed. A revised prototype, with lengthened fuselage and other improvements, was destroyed during a diving test on December 21, 1941. ![]() The prototype crashed due to engine failure just two months after its first flight. Problems with stall weaknesses and handling became apparent almost immediately. There were signs of trouble with the first prototype. Curtiss was already working at capacity, producing P-40 Warhawks and P-36 Hawks, but began working on the SB2C. Navy ordered the first prototype of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver on May 15, 1939. SB2C-1 Gun Turret, flickr photo by RyanCrierie shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license ![]()
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