This is the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, the U.S. Navy’s carrier-based dive bomber introduced in 1943. Compared to the SBD Dauntless it replaced, the Helldiver was larger, with a 49-foot wingspan, powered by a 1,900-horsepower Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone radial engine. Pilots used perforated dive brakes on the wings to stabilize steep 70-degree dives, rolling in from altitude, aiming, and releasing bombs at around 1,500 feet before pulling out under heavy G-forces. The aircraft’s versatility made it d

379K views · 3.5K reactions | One “HELL” of an airplane. The Helldiver was the last dive-bomber operated by the Navy and the last significant combat aircraft produced by Curtiss-Wright. https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/curtiss-sb2c-5-helldiver/nasm_A19610118000#helldiver #pilot #aviation #warbird #navy #dive #bomb #aircraft #combat | Aviatress Alyssa | Facebook