This series is dedicated to the gallant service performed by the brave airmen of World War 2 who risked all so that we may enjoy our American way of life. The phrase “Big Brother, Little Brother” refers to the way the heavy bomber and fighter escort aircraft pilots called each other on the radio chatter.
On a personal note, my father “John” served as a flight engineer on a B-25 Mitchell out of Italy in 1944 and 1945. He made it back alive, as did my father-in-law “Danny” who served as a belly gunner on a B-24 Liberator out of Libya. “Danny” was one of the few airmen who flew in both Ploesti oil field raids to Romania (June 1942 and August 1943) and did so without so much as a scratch. He flew his 25 missions and returned to the US as a gunnery instructor (Lead, Dammit, Lead!).
Finding all the caches will display a GeoArt form of the Big Brother, Little Brother relationship on your map. The caches were not meant to be difficult to find. If you can’t find a cache, it’s probably missing. Send me a picture of the location by email, I’ll accept the find and replace the cache.
SB2C Helldiver
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced. Crew nicknames for the aircraft included the Big-Tailed Beast (or just the derogatory Beast), Two-Cee and Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class (after its designation and partly because of its reputation for having difficult handling characteristics). Neither pilots nor aircraft carrier skippers seemed to like it.
Although production problems persisted throughout its combat service, it was reported that some pilots soon changed their minds about the potency of the Helldiver.
Delays marred its production. Built for the USAAF as the A-25 Shrike, by the time it was delivered it was no longer required. Substantial orders by the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force were both cancelled due to the poor handling of the aircraft. The Truman Committee investigated Helldiver production and turned in a scathing report, which eventually led to the beginning of the end for Curtiss. However, in spite of its problems, the aircraft was flown through the last two years of the Pacific War with a fine combat record, due to the high training of its crews.
Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver Technicals
General characteristics-
Crew: Two, pilot and radio operator/gunner
Length: 36 ft 8 in
Wingspan: 49 ft 9 in
Height: 13 ft 2 in
Wing area: 422 ft²
Empty weight: 10,547 lb
Max. takeoff weight: 16,616 lb
Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone radial engine, 1,900 hp
Maximum speed: 295 mph at 16,700 ft
Cruise speed: 158 mph
Range: 1,165 mi, with 1,000 lb bombload
Service ceiling: 29,100 ft
Rate of climb: 1,800 ft/min
Armament-
Guns:
2 × 20 mm cannon in the wings
2 × 0.30 in M1919 Browning machine guns in the rear cockpit
Bombs: in internal bay: 2,000 lb of bombs or 1 × Mark 13-2 torpedo
on underwing hardpoints: 500 lb of bombs each
Survivors
Airworthy-
SB2C-5, BuNo. 83589 by the Commemorative Air Force in Graham, TX.
On display-
SB2C-5, BuNo. 83479 at the NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport, DC.
Recovered-
In January 2010, Brad Varney, owner of B&B Scuba, discovered a SB2C-1C Helldiver that was ditched in Maalaea Bay off South Maui in August 1944. The Helldiver is covered in coral and is missing its tail section. The aircraft experienced problems with its empennage after dive bombing maneuvers which forced pilot Lieutenant William Dill to ditch. It lies in 50 ft of water facing east. The site, which is protected under state and federal law, is in the process of being marked with a plaque by the US Navy. A mooring may be installed at a later point in time to facilitate dives on the site.
On 25 March 2010, the Oregon State Police, Tillamook County Sheriff's Office and the United States Navy announced that during a logging operation near Rockaway Beach, Oregon, the wreck of an SB2C Helldiver was located. Initial responders believe there are possible human remains at the scene.
On 19 December 2011 Scuba divers off the coast of Jupiter, Florida came across a SB2C Helldiver while under water. The aircraft was mostly intact minus the outer skin and bomb bay doors leading those involved to believe it wasn't a crash landing. Scuba divers who found it will assist the U.S. military in locating it again and it is undetermined if the U.S. military will do anything about the discovery.
Under restoration-
A-25A Shrike s/n 42-80449 by the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, OH.
A-25A Shrike/SB2C-1A, BuNo. 75552 by Mike Rawson of Minneapolis, Minnesota for a static display project at the Wings of the North Air Museum in Anoka County, MN.
A-25A Shrike/SB2C-1A, BuNo. 76805 by Mike Rawson of Minneapolis, Minnesota for a static display project at the Wings of the North Air Museum in Anoka County, MN.
SB2C-3, BuNo. 19075by the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, CA.
SB2C-4, BuNo. 19866 crashed on 28 May 1945 in Lower Otay Reservoir, near San Diego, CA after engine failure during a training exercise. Both pilot E.D. Frazer and his passenger escaped uninjured, but the Helldiver sank in 90 ft. of water. The aircraft was discovered in February 2010 by a fisherman, and recovered on 20 August 2010 for restoration by the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL.