The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver is a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright during World War II. As a carrier-based bomber with the United States Navy (USN), in Pacific theaters, it supplemented and replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. A few survivors are extant.

A Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bomber approaches a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Intended as a replacement for the heralded Douglas Dauntless, the Helldiver proved to be a rugged platform for dive bombing in the Pacific Theater.

The SB2C construction was a two-seat, single-engine monoplane with an internal bay capable of carrying 1,000 pounds of bombs and folding wings to facilitate storage aboard an aircraft carrier. Perforated split flaps were used to decrease buffeting and the flaps were rigged so the upper half was locked out so the flaps would only go down on landing.

Jun 12, 2006 · The Curtiss SB2C was the last of a line of aircraft developed for the U.S. Navy specifically for the role of dive-bombing. That tactic was first used by a Marine aviator, Lieutenant (later Brig. Gen.) Lawson H.M. Sanderson, during operations in Haiti in 1919.

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced.

Developed to replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless, the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber used by the US Navy in World War II. It was the most widely used American dive bomber in the war with 7,140 (all variants) produced from 1940-1945.

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.