History Presentation and Flight Demonstration From Zero to Hero The SB2C Helldiver
June 21
Saturday June 21, 2025
Doors open at 8:00am Presentation Begins at 9:00am
Late in WWII the Curtiss SB2 Helldiver dive bomber sent Japanese warships to the bottom of the ocean and pulverized fortifications on Japan’s home islands. Yet, the Helldiver carries the reputation as a flawed latecomer to the war, a less than stellar performer built by an aircraft company that would soon fail.
The Helldiver was designed to replace the venerable but dated SBD Dauntless that was instrumental in the U.S. Navy victories early in the war. From the start, the SB2 garnered a reputation for poor stability, structural flaws, and poor handling. Many of the Helldiver’s problems resulted from the Navy’s overly tight size and performance specifications, but design decisions and poor quality control at the Curtiss contributed to many of the issues. Nevertheless, the type was faster and carried a heavier bomb load than the Dauntless. By the end of the Pacific War, the Helldiver had become the main dive bomber on Navy carriers.
The first version of the Helldiver, the SB2C-1A, had various development problems that lead to only 200 being built. These aircraft were kept stateside by the Navy and used only for training. The Helldiver’s many problems were resolved as production moved forward on the SB2C-3 and SB2C-4 models beginning in 1944. These aircraft would participate in battles over the Marianas, the Philippines, Taiwan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. They were also used in air-to-ground attacks on the Japanese home islands.
The advent of fighter bombers and air-to-ground rockets toward the end of World War II ensured that the SB2 was the last purpose-built dive bomber produced. The SB2 remained in U.S. postwar service until 1950. Altogether, 7,141 Helldivers were produced.
On Saturday, June 21st, at 9:00 a.m., Lead Docent Don Johnson will present the full story of the SB2 Helldiver. He’ll also present the history of the museum’s own SB2C that was recovered from Lake Washington and restored to flying condition here in Colorado Springs. Weather permitting, the presentation will be followed by a flight demonstration of the museum’s Helldiver.
