For Helldiver

[PRB]

Just shot this pic of a Helldiver being restored at Chino. Lots of work still...

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you for posting this, Paul. I was there about a month ago, and there is a photo of the same Helldiver in post #8 of this thread from the other side: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?88021-Yanks-Air-Musem

At Vulture's Row Aviation, also in California, they are very actively restoring an SB2C-1A Helldiver to airworthy, which will be complete in every detail - including the early three-bladed Curtiss-Electric prop (already overhauled) and spinner. Fagen Fighters, up here in Minnesota, also has an SB2C Helldiver which they are restoring to airworthy.

[PRB]

That's cool, John. Today was a fun day. I haven't visited Chino in many years. A lot has changed. I'll post more pics later.

[trucker17]

The planes of fame has made many changes in the last few years.....

[Helldiver]

In all my many hundreds of trips out to LAX and many trips I took out in the valley, I always missed Chino. It was always out of the way. I'm now sorry that I never took the time. John Terrell's pictures were outstanding.
It's funny to me seeing these things treated like relics when the sky was full of them. Like looking at the furniture you grew up with being treated like antiques.
The SB2C that their working on is hard to tell what version it is. I only hope that they paint it in the period it flew in. The flying Confederate 5A is painted in a 3A version plane. Plus their restoration is only half-ass done. It was only pressure from guys like us that they finally fixed the tailwheel oleo and added the wheel covers. Someone with an English Wheel could carve out a tail wheel cover for them. He could do it in a couple of days. Now if the would only take off, with the rear turtleback UP and fix the bungee cords in the gunners ring. Add the two trancievers. Add the three instuments in the gunners compartment and also the linear amplifier. Also put the life raft in the upper left hand tube. Their panel is a mess and dosn't look like any panel I ever saw in a Two-Cee. I feel if you do a restoration, do it right. You can always hide the modern radio with a flip up cover. But at least leave the panel alone for historical reasons.
I got a feeling that the people at Chino will show due respect for what turned out to be a very good airplane. Don't believe these writings from these guys that were rolling around in there old mans jock strap when these airplanes were sinking ships. They're writing fiction. I thank you for the posting.

[Bomber_12th]

Hey Helldiver,

The Yanks Air Museum Helldiver is an SB2C-3A, so it being painted in a tri-color scheme is accurate for its era.

This is its wartime service record:



Delivered: May 4, 1944
May 44 - VB-81
Oct 1944 - NAS CASU 4 Barbers Point, HI
Nov 1944 - VB-17
Jan 1945 - CASU 31
Feb 1945 - VB-88
Mar-Apr 1945 - CASU 31
May 1945 - VB-2
June 1945 - VB-95
July 1945 Pearl Harbor, HI, minor repairs
Aug 1945-AWT, San Diego, CA
Aug 1945-Pool, San Diego, CA until disposed
Stricken: Nov 31, 1945


You really must see the Vulture's Row SB2C-1A restoration when it is completed! They are amongst the current trend in warbird restorers who go to the finest level of detail to make everything authentic/original as it was (though perhaps quality-wise, better than original). Having to make a set of the lower gear doors from scratch for their SB2C-1A, they were the ones that also made the set for the CAF Helldiver, making that one a bit more complete. As rare as hen's teeth, fortunately for the Vulture's Row team they had one original, which through that and the original drawings they were able to reproduce them. Even the Smithsonian's Helldiver (http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=52632&p=525865&hilit=vulture%27s#p525865) doesn't have the lower gear doors, having long since been removed back when it was in military service.