Curtiss XF8C-2 Helldiver

Curtiss · United States · first flew 1929 · bomber

The Curtiss XF8C-2 Helldiver was the first aircraft in the long-running Curtiss Helldiver line, a two-seat biplane dive-bomber prototype that introduced the name used by all subsequent Curtiss dive-bombers including the SB2C.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	8 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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First Curtiss biplane to carry the Helldiver name
Two-seat dive-bomber biplane with bomb crutch
Wright R-1820 Cyclone radial in NACA cowling

Similar to the F8C-1 Falcon but identifiable by the swinging bomb crutch under the forward fuselage and the NACA-cowled Wright Cyclone engine.

Specifications

The Curtiss XF8C-2 Helldiver has a length of 8 m (26 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.75 m (32 ft).
Its maximum speed is 290 km/h (180 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The XF8C-2 was developed from the F8C Falcon airframe with modifications for dive-bombing, including a bomb crutch under the fuselage to swing the bomb clear of the propeller arc during steep attack runs. The US Navy accepted the Helldiver designation formally, distinguishing these dive-bombers from the fighter-observation Falcons. The XF8C-2 prototype led directly to the F8C-4 production variant.

Variants

The XF8C-2 prototype was refined into the F8C-4 and F8C-5 Helldivers; the name was later applied to an entirely different monoplane, the SB2C.

Where you'll see it

Only prototype testing; the F8C-4 and F8C-5 production variants entered US Navy and Marine Corps service.

Related aircraft

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