SB2C Helldiver Stars & Stripes Rocks Glass

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The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber designed to replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless. First flown in December 1940, it entered U.S. Navy service in late 1943. Nicknamed the “Beast” for its size and handling quirks, the Helldiver ultimately proved effective, especially when paired with experienced crews.

Powered by a Wright R-2600 engine, it could carry up to 2,000 lb of bombs internally, plus additional ordnance under the wings. The SB2C featured hydraulically-operated dive brakes, folding wings for carrier storage, and twin .30 cal rear machine guns.

Despite a troubled development history and early reliability problems, later variants like the SB2C-4 and -5 became the Navy’s primary dive bomber in the final two years of WWII. It flew from nearly every major U.S. carrier and participated in key Pacific battles—including Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The Royal Navy briefly evaluated the Helldiver (as the Curtiss Helldiver I), but did not adopt it operationally.

Over 7,000 SB2Cs were built. Postwar, some served in Greece, Italy, France, and Thailand before retirement in the 1950s.