Seen at AirVenture 2024

The Curtiss-Wright SB2C-5 Helldiver

Production and purpose

The SB2C Helldiver is a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright for the U.S. Navy during WWII. The Helldiver, also known as "The big tailed Beast" was designed to replace the SBD Dauntless. The early versions were not well liked by pilots or carrier crews. But Curtiss made substantial improvements to the design and Helldiver became extremely successful the last year and a half of the war. The last design (SB2C-5) had a bigger engine, a four blade propeller and a larger fuel capacity. In total there were over 7,000 Helldivers built from 1943 until 1945, 970 of those being a dash 5 variant. Overall the Helldiver was tough and influenced the war in the Pacific in major ways leading the U.S. to victory.

History and Restoration

This SB2C-5 Helldiver Bu. No. 83393, rolled off the assembly line and was accepted by the U.S. Navy in New Port, Rhode Island on May 3, 1945. The next day on May 4. It was sent to the NAF in Dahlgren, Virginia for training purposes. On July 24, 1945 the aircraft and crew took off for a training mission, but suddenly lost power in the climb. The pilot radioed the control tower for a go-around, but ended up performing a controlled emergency landing in the woods nearby. The aircraft was scrapped by the Navy on July 31, 1945.After many years of being in storage, the Fagen family purchased the wreck in 2006 with the mission to restore the Helldiver to airworthy condition again. Upon purchase the fuselage was sent out for immediate rebuild at Wichita Air Service in Wichita, Kansas. In 2008 the Helldiver arrived in Granite Falls, Minnesota where restoration where restoration would continue for the next several years. Tri-State Aviation in Wahpeton, North Dakota completed the center section in 2020, and shortly afterward began working on the outer wings. Fagen Fighters Restoration the majority of the work in house, including; machining many parts, fitting the fuselage, mating the center section and fuselage, all major systems and propeller and engine installation, completion of the wings, painting and final assembly.

Unfortunately, after the war most Helldivers were scrapped and very few survive today. There is only one other Helldiver flying with the Commemorative Airforce in Texas. As of today, this is the second flying Helldiver in the world.