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Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver 1:1

The SB2C-4 Helldiver, an Iconic and highly underrated US dive bomber. Some say the Helldiver was the downfall of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation, however in reality this was not the case. Early models of the Helldiver gave the aircraft a bad wrap due to there bad characteristics and plentiful issues, earning some rather distasteful names. After some variations however, the Helldiver became not only the last US dive bomber in service, but what some consider to be the best and finest dive bomber ever produced in the later variants. I have created the SB2C-4, this model is considered to be the pinnacle of the Helldivers development. The Helldiver went on to sink a total of 301 ships, and sink over 300,000 tons of shipping during WWII, more tonnage than other US aircraft ever produced. It was so significant in fact, that many believe that without the aircraft, the US would not have been able to win against the Japanese war machine in the Pacific campaign.

This SB2C-4 is completely 1:1, and is jam packed with detail and small features. It is also rather easy and smooth flying, getting used to it and learning its characteristics isn't hard to do. With a small bit of practice it can be highly effective in most situations, especially if you customize the armament to fit your mission.

Taking flight:
First, turn your starter magneto on, then put your pitch up in order to taxi to the runway. Once in position on the runway, max out your propeller pitch, then set throttle to full. Wait until the tail lifts off the ground to pull up, otherwise the tail will be pressed to the ground and the takeoff will be significantly longer. The gyro is not needed for normal operation unless desired, it is best used for long trips in order to minimize having to control the aircraft.

To land, come in on approach and simply cut throttle, once your tail is on the ground hit brakes and pull pitch back.

NOTE! There are two ways to control the throttle, you can use the arrow buttons inside the aircraft, or you can switch to using the UP/DOWN keys to control your throttle.

Once off the ground, the key for your landing gear is between your legs. To check the gear from inside the cockpit, look at the red bulbs on the wings, once they disappear your gear are up.

NOTE! Make sure to Taxi and use the runway! Helldivers are known to not like low speeds!

NOTE! Just like real life, the Helldivers wings do fold! The switch is in the upper left corner of the dash. In low physics the wing folding can be a bit strange unfortunately however.

Armament:
The preset armament I have loaded up is a rather versatile one. The aircraft comes with two wing mounted 20mm cannons to start, activated bt pressing space. The HVAR rockets are fired using the 4 key, they are delayed by .5 seconds between each rocket. For the two wing mounted 500 lb bombs, use 2 and 3 to individually drop them. Finally, your main center mounted ordinance is a single Mk13 torpedo, this can be launched by pressing 1.Optimal Torpedo launch is 50-100 ft above the water with about 1000-1500 feet of distance between you and your target. This will ensure the torpedo's depth has stabilized and the torpedo has been armed. MAKE SURE NOT TO RETRACT BOMB BAY DOORS UNTIL TORPEDO IS LAUNCHED! Otherwise you will get the doors stuck. I have created an Armament pack so you can customize the loadout of your Helldiver, be sure to read the descriptions on how to use them and how to install them.

Ordinance kit here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3003009277

Mk13 Torpedo standalone by Blake172005 here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3002960470

Flaps and Dive Brakes:
You have both flaps and dive brakes on the helldiver, they are located in the bottom right of the dash. The flaps are rather self explanatory, and have a position indicator on their panel.

The dive brakes are activated with a flip switch on the same panel, if you are not in a dive when you deploy them, you WILL stall, so be careful when doing dives.


Finally, it's time for you to get out there and do your part! I hope you enjoy this 1:1 Helldiver, there are many small details and neat additions to the aircraft that are not included here, and I hope you enjoy them. It took me many hours of research to get everything as accurate and detailed as possible. If you have any questions at all about my Helldiver, feel free to ask! Now, get out there and sink them Japanese!!

-Gabe