Curtiss SBC Helldiver

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_SBC_Helldiver

The Curtiss SBC Helldiver was a two-seat scout bomber and dive bomber built by
the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. It was the last military biplane procured by the
United States Navy. Delivered in 1937, it became obsolete even before World War
II and was kept well away from combat with Axis fighters.

There was controversy in the United States Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer)
in the early 1930s regarding two-seat fighter planes, monoplanes and the
retractable undercarriage In 1931, the Navy issued Design Specification No. 113,
which detailed a requirement for a high-performance fighter with fixed
undercarriage to be powered by the Wright R-1510 or Pratt & Whitney’s R-1535
radial engine. Seven companies submitted proposals and two companies, the
Douglas Aircraft with their XFD-1 and the Chance Vought with their XF3U-1 were
given contracts for one prototype each. Both of these aircraft were two-seat
biplanes. The Navy then asked Curtiss to supply a prototype of a two-seat
monoplane which was technically more advanced.

On 30 June 1932, BuAer signed a contract with Curtiss to design a two-seat
monoplane with a parasol wing a retractable undercarriage and powered by a 625
hp (466 kW) Wright R-1510-92 fourteen cylinder, two row, air-cooled radial
engine driving a two-blade propeller. This fighter was designated XF12C-1.

The SBC was an all-metal, two-seat scout-bomber biplane with “I”-type interplane
struts. It was the last combat biplane the Navy purchased and the last combat
biplane manufactured in the United States. The two crewmen, pilot and radio
operator/gunner, were housed in tandem cockpits enclosed by a sliding canopy and
the turtledeck behind the rear cockpit could be folded down to allow the gunner
to use his machine gun. The wings, rudder, elevators and flaps were fabric
covered. The main landing gear retracted into wheel wells in the fuselage just
forward of the lower wing and the tail wheel retracted into the fuselage.

Role
Dive bomber

Manufacturer
Curtiss-Wright

First flight
9 December 1935

Introduction
1938

Retired
1943

Primary users
United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
Royal Air Force
French Navy

Number built
257

In August 1936, the Navy signed a contract for 83 SBC-3s (Curtiss Model 77A).
Delivery of the SBC-3s to the fleet began on 17 July 1937 when the first
aircraft were issued to Scouting Squadron Five (VS-5) serving in USS Yorktown
(CV-5) however, Yorktown was not commissioned until 30 September 1937 and the
ship then began sea trials. On 10 December 1937, VS-5 went aboard Yorktown and
served aboard her until replaced by Douglas SBD-3s Dauntlesses in 1940.

By June 1938, three of the five scouting squadrons serving in aircraft carriers
were equipped with SBC-3s while the other two were equipped with Vought SBU-1s.
The three ships with SBC-3s we
USS Enterprise (CV-6): Fighting Squadron Six (VF-6) had an SBC-3 and VS-6 had 20
Helldivers.
USS Saratoga (CV-3): Bombing Squadron Three (VB-3) had one SBC-3, VF-3 had an
SBC-3 and VS-3 had 21 Helldivers.
USS Yorktown (CV-5): VS-5 had ten SBC-3s.

One of the SBC-3s was kept at the factory and redesignated XSBC-4 (Curtiss Model
77B). This aircraft was re-engined with the 750 hp (559 kW) Wright R-1820-22
nine cylinder, single row, air-cooled engine

The initial contract for 58 SBC-4s was signed on 5 January 1938. This was
followed by two additional contracts, one for 31 Helldivers on 27 July 1938 and
the third contract for 35 aircraft on 13 August 1938. Total aircraft contracted
for was 124. The aircraft were powered by the 850 hp (634 kW) Wright R-1820-24
engine.

The first squadron to receive the SBC-4s was VS-2 in USS Lexington (CV-2)
replacing the Vought SBU-1s. By 26 June 1939, VS-2 was fully equipped with 21
aircraft. This was the only aircraft carrier that flew the SBC-4 and they were
replaced by Douglas SBD-2 and -3 Dauntlesses in 1941.

The U.S. Marines received one SBC-3 in 1938 and which was assigned to Marine
Fighter Squadron Two (VMF-2, redesignated VMF-211 on 1 July 1941) at NAS San
Diego, California. It was sent to the Battle Fleet Pool in June 1939.

In January 1940, the Marine Corps had four SBC-4s. Two were based at Marine
Corps Air Station (MCAS), Quantico, Virginia; one was assigned to VMF-1
(redesignated VMF-111 on 1 July 1941) and the second, the XSBC-4, was assigned
to Marine Utility Squadron One (VMJ-1 redesignated VMJ-152 on 7 July 1941). The
other two aircraft were based at NAS, San Diego, California; one SBC-4 was
assigned to VMF-2 and the second to VMJ-2 (redesignated VMJ-252 on 1 July 1941).

Specifications (SBC-4)

General characteristics
Crew: two; pilot and gunner
Length: 28 ft 1? in (8.57 m)
Wingspan: 34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)
Height: 10 ft 5 in (3.17 m)
Wing area: 317 ft² (29.4 m²)
Empty weight: 4,552 lb (2,065 kg)
Loaded weight: 7,080 lb (3,211 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 7,632 lb (3,462 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820-34 radial engine, 850 hp (634 kW)

Performance
Maximum speed: 234 mph (203 knots, 377 km/h) at 15,200 ft (4,600 m)
Cruise speed: 175 mph (152 knots, 282 km/h)
Range: 405 mi (352 nmi, 652 km)
Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,320 m)
Rate of climb: 1,630 ft/min (8.28 m/s)

Armament

Guns:

1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) forward-firing M1919 Browning machine gun
1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) flexible rearward-firing machine gun
Bombs: 1 × bomb of up to 1,000 lb (454 kg)





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