Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Curtiss SB2C Helldiver — The Big-Tailed Beast” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/curtiss-sb2c-helldiver/.
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver — The Big-Tailed Beast
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
I thopught there was an SB2C Helldiver on display at the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola. I just checked and there is, along with logbook and other artifacts that belonged to a WWII SB2C pilot who barely escaped with his life and later became famous, one George Herbert Walker Bush. Details about Chichi Jima can be found here: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/flyboys-a-true-story-of-courage-by-james-d-bradley/274612/?
Talyn
Emissary
Negative.
During World War II, George Herbert Walker Bush flew a Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger. He served as a naval aviator and torpedo bomber pilot assigned to Torpedo Squadron 51 (VT-51) aboard the light aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto (CVL-30).
TBM-3E Avenger - NNAM
Nicknamed the “Turkey,” the Avenger entered service at the Battle of Midway and was the largest airplane assigned to fly from carriers during World War II. This was the type airplane flown by future President of the United States George H.W. Bush during his World War II service as a Naval...
Grumman TBF Avenger - Wikipedia
George H. W. Bush sits in the cockpit of a U.S. Navy TBM-1C Avenger aircraft in Fargo
Last edited:
My father flew the beloved Dauntless SBD off the Enterprise from Pearl Harbor through Battle of Midway. After a short stint stateside training new pilots, he was brought back to the pacific theatre serving on both Hancock and Hornet flying the dreaded SB2C Helldiver (which he hated). Thanks for the informative article on the Helldiver.
