Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was one of those aircraft that was either loved or hated, there was no middle ground. Forged in a hurry for the forthcoming war the Helldiver was designed in a hurry and built by mostly underskilled personnel while being bombarded by the customer with their extra changes and demands. Despite this pressure Curtiss managed to produce a prototype that flew, even though it would soon reveal strength and build problems. The first production model, the Dash-1, was beset by many problems that saw one carrier captain demanding that the Helldivers be removed and the offloaded Douglas Dauntless dive-bombers be reinstated. From the SB2C-3 onwards, after undergoing a full modification programme, a competent combat aircraft would emerge.