The XSB2C-1 was a large dive bomber, intended to replace the U.S. Navy’s Douglas SBD Dauntless. It was designed by a team lead by Curstiss-Wright chief engineer Raymond Cottrell Blaylock (1904–1973).
The prototype had longitudinal stability problems caused by its relatively short fuselage, required to fit on aircraft carrier flight decks.
While on approach to land, 8 Feb 1941, the XSB2C-1 suffered an engine failure and made a hard landing in an open field. The rear of the fuselage was damaged.
The prototype was repaired. Its fuselage was lengthened and a larger vertical fin installed to reduce the stability problems. On 21 Dec 1941 the XSB2C-1 was destroyed after wing failure during flight.
The production SB2C-1 Helldiver a large, single engine, low wing airplane, with a two-man crew: the pilot and a radio operator/gunner. It had conventional retractable landing gear. Its wings could be folded for storage aboard aircraft carriers. It was 36 feet, 8 inches (11.176 meters) long, with a wing span of 49 feet, 8-5/8 inches (15.154 meters), and overall height of 13 feet, 1-½ inches (4.005 meters); the height was 16 feet, 10 inches (5.131 meters) with wings folded. The reduced its width to 22 feet, 6-½ inches (6.871 meters).
The SBC2-1 had a combat weight, empty, of 9,630 pounds (4,368 kilograms). With a 1,000 pound (454 kilogram) bomb and two external fuel tanks tanks, its gross weight was 15,583 pounds (7,068 kilograms); and with a Mk 13 aerial torpedo and two external tanks, 16,812 pounds (7,626 kilograms).
The XSB2C-1 powered by an air-cooled, supercharged, 2,603.737 cubic inch displacement (42.668 liter) Curtiss-Wright R2600-8 Twin Cyclone (GR2600B698) two-row, 14-cylinder radial engine with a compression ratio of 6.9:1. It was equipped with a Holley Automatic Type Model 1685-H or -HA carburetor. The right-hand drive engine turned a three-bladed Curtiss Electric Propeller with a diameter of 12 feet (3.658 meters) through a reduction gear ratio of 0.5625:1. The engine required 100-octane aviation gasoline and was rated at 1,500 horsepower at 2,400 rpm; 1,700 horsepower at 2,600 r.p.m., military power; and 1,700 horsepower at 2,800 r.p.m. for takeoff. The R2600-8 was 5 feet, 4.91 inches (1.649 meters) long, 4 feet, 6.26 inches (1.378 meters) in diameter, and weighed 1,995 pounds (905 kilograms). 11,410 of this engine variant were built between April 1940 and May 1944.
The SB2C-1 had a total fuel capacity of 290 gallons (1,098 liters) in one fuselage tank and two wing tanks. An additional 130 gallon (492 liters) tank could be installed in the bomb bay.
The Helldiver’s armament consisted of four air-cooled AN-M2 .50 caliber machine guns in the wings with 240 rounds per gun. A single .50 caliber machine gun with 150 rounds of ammunition was installed in the aft compartment on a flexible mount. After first 200 production airplanes, the wing machine guns were replaced with two 20 mm automatic cannon, while two .30 caliber machine guns replaced the single aft .50 caliber gun.
The SB2C-1 had a maximum speed 250 miles per hour (402 kilometers per hour) at Sea Level, and maximum speed of 273 miles per hour (439 kilometers per hour)at 13,400 feet (4,084 meters). Its service ceiling was 22,800 feet (6,949 meters). It could climb from Sea Level to to climb to 10,000′ (3,048 meters) in 9.7 minutes, and to 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) 32.6 minutes. The dive bomber’s combat radius, with two 1,000 pound (454 kilogram) bombs and two external fuel tanks was 365 nautical miles (676 kilometers). It had a maximum range of max range 1,375 nautical miles (2,547 kilometers).
7,141 SBC2 Helldivers were built in several variations. 300, designated SBF, were built by Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada), Longueuil, Quebec; and 834 SBWs by the Canadian Car & Foundry at Fort William, Ontario.
The U.S Army ordered 3,100 Helldiver variants as the A-25A Shrike, but found the airplane inferior in the ground attack role to the Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt. The contract was cancelled with just 900 A-25s produced. These were modified back to the Navy variant and transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps.
© 2024, Bryan R. Swopes