Darling, Kev/Pearson, Sam (Illustr.) Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Volume 7 of the Warpaint Special series. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was one of those aircraft that you either loved or hated there was no in-between. The Helldiver was developed in a hurry for the impending war, built by a largely untrained workforce and bombarded with additional changes and requirements by the customer. Even under this pressure, Curtiss managed to produce a flyable prototype, although strengths and design problems soon became apparent. That's what prototypes are for, but the first production model, the Dash-1, was so plagued with problems that an aircraft carrier captain demanded that the Helldivers be taken out of service and the unloaded Douglas Dauntless dive bombers be brought back into service. Starting with the SB2C-3, after a comprehensive modification programme, a competent combat aircraft emerged. The Helldiver squadrons, which were deployed in 1944/45 and now operated from fast aircraft carriers, carried the war to Tokyo. After 1945, the Helldiver remained in active service until it was replaced by the Douglas AD-1 Skyraider. Later models were used abroad by France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Thailand. The Royal Navy also formed a single squadron, but it never saw action. After flight tests in Great Britain, Eric Winkle Brown declared that the Helldiver was the worst aircraft he had ever flown.