1:72 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (wet decals)

The successor to the Dauntless on the decks

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was to replace the proven SBD Dauntless with the US Navy and it brought marked novelties: an internal bomb bay, folding wings and a far more powerful engine. The road to a usable machine was thorny, though. The prototype flew in December 1940, combat deployment came only in November 1943, and for its difficult behavior at low speeds the crews earned the airplane the unflattering nickname Beast. Once the maker had refined the tail surfaces and the controls, it became the main strike type of the carrier groups in the closing stage of the Pacific war.

The machines the sheet covers

The examples chosen come from the Ticonderoga, the Hornet, the Yorktown, the Wasp and the Valley Forge, then an aircraft of a Marine Corps bombing squadron nicknamed the Bombing Banshees from Mindanao in June 1945 and an Army A-25A of the 13th Fighter Squadron with the older canopy shape. The ninth stands apart: an SB2C-5E of French naval aviation with unit 3F, which still used the type over Indochina in 1954.

Before application

The dark blue naval finish is usually matte, so it is worth creating a gloss intermediate coat under the decals, otherwise a light halo will appear around the film. Separate the motifs one by one, lay them in water for a few seconds and adjust the position while the film can still be moved. The model of the airplane is sold separately. Anyone building the version with folded wings should plan in advance which lettering will stay visible on the folding section and which will disappear in the break.