![]() The new aircraft became known as the F8C-4 Helldiver, with 25 units being produced. To withstand the stresses of dive bombing, the new craft was given a more compact and strengthened airframe, as well as a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engine, which replaced the Falcon’s Liberty inline engine. To address the need for a dedicated dive bomber, in 1928 the Curtiss division of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation redesigned its F8C-1-the Marine version of the “Falcon” two-seat fighter-bomber. Initially, the Navy used existing scout and fighter aircraft as dive bombers without any of the features that purpose-built dive bombers would have, such as a stronger structure and dive brakes. ![]() It was obsolete even before the war began. military, was also known as the Helldiver. A Curtiss SBC-4 scout-bomber, the last biplane operated by the U.S. What was needed was a plane that could perform these maneuvers. William “Billy” Mitchell, in charge of American air operations in France, observed British and French dive-bombing attacks, he advocated the U.S. ![]() Previously, the USAAF had been convinced that level bombers, employing precision optical bombsights, could strike targets with impunity from high altitude. Army Air Force (USAAF) wanted to employ it for dive bombing over sea and land, respectively, while the U.S Marine Corps’ wanted it for close-air-support. Such was the case for the Curtiss SB2C “Helldiver” dive bomber: Both the U.S. ![]() This puts additional pressure on designers and program managers. The solution was the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver-nicknamed the “Beast.” It was one of the United States’ best aircraft of the war-but one that had its shortcomings.įor as long as there have been multiple military service branches, there has been the possibility that a piece of equipment would be pressed into duty for all of them. Navy needed a combat aircraft that could meet several requirements: it had to serve as an attack fighter that could conduct precision dive-bombing and ground-support (strafing) operations yet still be small enough to be delivered to battle zones by aircraft carrier. ![]()
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