The Curtiss Helldiver

The name Curtiss is associated with the birth of naval aviation. The company that gave the United States Navy its first operational flying platform became preoccupied during the early 1920s with the development of a next generation biplane to replace its venerable Falcon series. The F8C-4/02C Helldiver was conceived as a pure, dedicated dive bomber aircraft with two fixed, forward firing heavy machine guns housed on the upper wing structure.

In the very beginning of its conception, Curtiss engineers decided to make this most unusual airplane’s frame of welded steel tubing, which was a sharp departure over previous construction methods. Unlike the frame, the Helldiver’s wing structure was a conventional one with slices of wood covered in canvas.

The first F8C took to the air in 1928. And although the prototype crashed in testing, the biplane showed enough promise to warrant further development. By the early part of 1929, the Helldiver was in full production mode. The aircraft that emerged out of the ashes of the prototype was a much more advanced unit.

The plane now featured a special bomb rack that was able to carry up to 500 pounds of ordinance. The rack was designed to deploy the bomb away from the aircraft as it dives in order to avoid the explosive entering the propeller arc.

As with many planes of the era, the F8C, although a very robust platform still lacked self-sealing tanks which could have proved to be fatal if the plane were involved in combat. A single bullet could have turned the biplane into a fire coffin.

Twenty five of the first produced Helldiver model, the F8C-4, went on to serve aboard the US Navy’s infant aircraft carrier fleet. The US Marine Corps received 63 examples of the modified, land based F8C-5 version. The new type, a pure reconnaissance airplane, was known as the 02C-1 variant. Thirty examples of this new Helldiver were also ordered by the Navy.

Although the aircraft did not see full pledged combat operations, it had its moment in the sun. The plane, a favorite of the Navy’s nascent public relation office, was immortalized as the aircraft that shot down King Kong as he sat on top of the Empire State Building during the famous 1930s film.

Power plant: One Pratt &Whitney 450hp R-1340.4 Wasp radial engine
Fuselage length: 7.82m
Height: 3.12m
Wingspan: 9.75m
Total wing area: 28.61m square
Maximum takeoff weight: 1,823kg
Top speed: 235kph
Operational range: 1,159km
Serviceable ceiling: 4,955m
Climb rate: 289m per minute
Armament: Two 0.3″ machine guns. Up to 227kg of ordinance

An article by Raul Colon: rcolonfrias@yahoo.com

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