AviationBanter - View Single Post - Pacific War in Color, pt 3 - Curtiss SB2C Helldivers over Saipan, 24th of August 1944.jpg (1/1)

**Daniel GREGOIRE[_3_]** · March 31st 17, 10:16 AM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.aviation

In article ,
Mitchell Holman wrote:

wrote in news:v4idncZYr7sR1kDFnZ2dnUU7-
:

.A relative said that this airplane was short coupled and thus a bear to
land on the carrier. The SB2C earned it's nick name of "Son of a Bitch
Second Class."

Everyone hated it. The pilots, the gunners,
the crew, even the LSO's.

But as a replacement for the SBD it was
faster, had longer range, and could carry a
bigger payload. In short, on paper it was a
better airplane and the grumblers just had
to accept it.

That was the theory, in practice neither speed nor range were really
better than a SBD-6