This Curtiss SB2C Helldiver is the last flying Helldiver on the planet and part of the Commemorative Air Force. Built in 1945, this SB2C-5 makes frequent air show appearances. In 1982, it had an engine failure and a hard emergency landing that caused extensive damage. The volunteers of the CAF worked thousands of hours to restore it to flying condition. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber used by the Navy during World War II. Being much faster, it replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. The Curtiss SB2C was the last of a line of aircraft developed for the U.S. Navy specifically for the role of dive-bombing.
You might not have noticed a couple of details in the image. First, the gunner is aiming those machine guns directly at me. Second, notice the holes in the top surfaces of the flaps; yep, they are called dive brakes. The design featured “split flaps” for dive braking, with the flaps extending above and below the wing. These “Swiss Cheese” flaps were modified with an array of holes in the flaps.
