v2's 3xP's (Poland/Planes/People) (11 Viewers)

[v2]

Helldiver

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

If any of you good folks can take your eyes off the lass on the beach, can someone explain to me what is going on with the Helldiver's tail in pic 5.

 

[cammerjeff]

The Panels behind the rear gun are folded down, that was done to increase the area the rear gun could cover. I also did not know the panel on the base of the vertical fin folded down with the decking. I had to go back and look at picture #6 to compare the area, you can see the fillet lines in picture #6. It may be the angle or the lighting that makes picture #5 look odd. Below is a picture with the gun deployed and the area does not look so odd.

Source; Wikiwand - Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
My Father flew SB2C's and I built the old Monogram kit as a Kid, I should have known what rear panels folded down, if I did I forgot. The next picture is of a model, but it shows the base of the fin folded down.

Source; ProModeler 1/48 SB2C-4 Helldiver, by Tom Cleaver

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Many thanks for this info, quite a complex process for the gunner.

 

[SaparotRob]

So that's how they did it.

 

[v2]

C-47

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

It's hard to believe that some of these machines are still in commercial use today.

 

[Gnomey]

 

[v2]

Gloster Meteor

 

[Wurger]

 

[v2]

Meteor part 2

 

[Snautzer01]

Very nice. Very nice indeed.

 

[Gnomey]

 

[Wurger]

 

[v2]

Boeing 75 Stearman

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

 

[v2]

Hurricane