SB2C-3 Helldiver VB-18, USS Intrepid, Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, Oct., 1944 (1:72)

The SB2C-3 had a larger engine than the SB2C-1 that produced 200 hp more. This improvement meant the use of a four-bladed propeller instead of the former 3-bladed along with the omission of the spinner. A major improvement was the addition of perforated dive flaps that had a saw tooth upper flap. This greatly reduced buffeting during a dive and became a standard feature on all future variants. There were 1,112 SB2C-3s manufactured by Curtiss as well as 413 comparable SBW-3s and 150 comparable SBF-3s built in Canada.

On October 24 1944 one of a fleet of 29 Japanese ships steaming toward Leyte Gulf was the huge battleship Musashi. The plan was to destroy the US ships that were there supporting troops that had landed ashore. Once detected; the USN launched air-strike after air-strike in an attempt to stop the fleet. One of the first groups launched was VB-18 from the USS Intrepid who sent 12 SB2C-3s along with Avengers and Hellcats. It took 6 strikes throughout the day and a combination of bombs and torpedoes to sink the Musashi. This was one of the most ever sustained air attacks on a ship at sea. At the end of the day the Japanese had lost one battleship, one cruiser and many other damaged ships. VB-18 had lost 5 of their 12 SB2C-3s.

Specifications - SB2C-3 Helldiver
General data
Manufacturer � Curtiss-Wright
Number built - 1,112
Crew � 2 X 1 pilot, 1 radio operator/gunner

Dimensions
Length - 36 ft 9 in (11.2 m)
Wingspan - 49 ft 9 in (15.2 m)
Height - 14 ft 9 in (4.5 m)
Wing area - 422 ft (39.2 m )

Weights
Empty - 10,114 lb (4,588 kg)
Loaded - 13,674 lb (6,202 kg)
Max takeoff - 16,800 lb (7,600 kg)

Performance
Powerplant - 1 Wright R-2600-20 Cyclone radial engine, 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) with 4-bladed propeller
Maximum speed - 294 mph (473 km/h)
Range - 1,200 miles (1,900 km)
Service ceiling - 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Rate of climb - 1,750 ft/min (8.9 m/s)

Armament
2 x .50 cal (20 mm) cannon in each wing
2 x 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns in the rear cockpit
Internal bay - 2,000 lb (900 kg) of bombs or 1x Mark 13-2 torpedo
Hardpoints: 500 lb (225 kg) of bombs each wing