SB2C-4 bomb loading

• Jun 19, 2021

• #1

E

ernihold

Airman

31

107

Mar 8, 2014

Hi, could anybody please help me to find any visual documentation (photo / picture / drawing / video) how bombs were loaded to SB2C?
Thanks
erni

 

• Jun 21, 2021

• #2

B

Barrett

Senior Airman

712

1,206

Feb 9, 2007

Western United States

Google "Helldiver loading bombs" and you should find something like this.

 

• Jun 22, 2021

• #3

N

NVSMITH

Airman 1st Class

188

271

Jul 26, 2011

-Something I've always been curious about: Early dive bombers such as the Ju87, SBC, SBD and SB2U used trapeze devices to swing their bombload clear of the propellor as they dove on their target. Aircraft such as the SB2C and A-31/35 had internal bomb bays. How did the bombs clear the aircraft? Did the bombers use a much shallower angle during the dive or was there some less obvious mechanism replacing the trapeze?

 

• Jun 22, 2021

• #4

Wurger

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It looks like a similar mechanism was installed in the bomb bay. Here the bomb cradle that has dropped forward from the open bomb bay, releasing it's payload.

 

• Jun 22, 2021

• #5

Wurger

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Also the Vengeance had them in the bomb bay ..


the pic source: LEADING AIRCRAFTMAN (LAC) I. N. ANDREWS OF WILLIAMTOWN, NSW, AND LAC B. CLARKE OF PORTLAND, NSW, ...


the source: Vultee Vengeance bombbay, interior...

 

• Jun 22, 2021

• #6

N

NVSMITH

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Jul 26, 2011

Wurger said:

It looks like a similar mechanism was installed in the bomb bay. Here the bomb cradle that has dropped forward from the open bomb bay, releasing it's payload.

View attachment 629503

Click to expand...

-Thanks mucho. I've never seen a photo or cutaway illustrating that. How did they handle multiple bombs? Separate cradles?

 

• Jun 22, 2021

• #7

Wurger

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Not sure fully but I would say yes, depending on the bomb calibre there were one or two separate cradles attached.

 

• Jun 23, 2021

• #8

N

NVSMITH

Airman 1st Class

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Jul 26, 2011

Wurger said:

Not sure fully but I would say yes, depending on the bomb calibre there were one or two separate cradles attached.

Click to expand...

-Thanks. Given that the bomb load of the Vengeance was supposed to be 2,000 lbs I'd like to see the cradle attachment for 2x1,000lb or 4x500lb bombs. If the diameter of the 500lb and 1,000lb bombs was roughly equal I imagine the side by side cradles in the photo you provided would work but what would the sudden loss of 1,000lbs, even so close to the centerline of the aircraft have been like? The photo shows two bombs side by side: would they have been dropped simultaneously or could the bomber make, or be forced to make, a second pass?
-Either way, the aircrew had plenty of guts.

 

• Jun 23, 2021

• #9

Wurger

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I haven't found any info on the cradles for smaller bombs. As memo serves the typical bombload for the Vengeance was ...

A-31, A-35A - up to 1500 lbs (675 kg) of bombs, two 500lb bombs in internal bay and two 250lb bombs under wings
A-35B - up to 2000 lbs (900 kg) of bombs, two 500lb bombs in internal bay and two 500lb bombs under wings

So, as a result the two cradles in the bomb bay were enough. I guess, if the bombs of the 1000lb and 2000lb were going to be used, the single cradle could be attached only . But these bombs weren't racked very often IMHO.

The bombload for the Vengeance ...

the source: Vultee Vengeance (documented request)