Search for fish....finds Helldiver ! - Aircraft of World War II

Geedee · 07-24-2009, 08:59 AM

Crickey !. Look whats been found by a guy out fishing !!!

Lets hope she's in good enough condition to make a recovery attempt a go'er.

Search for fish unearths history

Thorlifter · 07-24-2009, 09:40 AM

Cool find. I hope they bring it up too.

It said in the article the U.S. build 30,000 planes in the Helldiver family. That had to be a typo.

evangilder · 07-24-2009, 09:54 AM

Even factoring in Shrikes and the Canadian built units, it still doesn't come anywhere near 30,000. I have heard the 7,100ish figure bounced about many times. Gotta love non-aviation press reporters...

timshatz · 07-24-2009, 10:36 AM

Guy probably counted every plane that could carry a bomb that was made for the Navy during WW2. Dauntlesses, Vindicators, the odd Hellcat. Or maybe the dude just got it way wrong.

Does anyone know anything about this Resevoir? Sounds like it is fresh water. Being 80Ft down, it should be out of the sunlight and that would probably mean decay was fairly slow. Thinking of the SBD they just pulled out of Lake Michigan. That one still had the paint on it.

comiso90 · 07-24-2009, 10:41 AM

Cant hear enuf stories like that... thx

evangilder · 07-24-2009, 11:32 AM

From what they are saying, it's in pretty good shape. I am waiting to see some pictures.

diddyriddick · 07-24-2009, 01:08 PM

The article also states that most of the Helldivers were shot down or destroyed by equipment failure. Did I miss something?

Nice find, Btw. Thanks!

Messy1 · 07-24-2009, 01:32 PM

He'll definitely need a bigger net. Great find! I am sure it will be brought up.

I always thought the Helldiver was not that popular of a design, many pilots preferred the older Dauntless over it. IIRC, it had some stability and design issues.

Catch22 · 07-24-2009, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Messy1

He'll definitely need a bigger net. Great find! I am sure it will be brought up.

I always thought the Helldiver was not that popular of a design, many pilots preferred the older Dauntless over it. IIRC, it had some stability and design issues.

It had plenty of issues, but the Navy got in too deeply too quickly to be able to cancel the Helldiver and keep the Dauntless. Most of the major issues were resolved by the -4 though. It was a better plane than the Dauntless, as it could go farther, carry more and was faster, in fact its cruising speed was only 2 mph slower than that of the Hellcat, the Corsair was the only plane in the Navy that was quite a bit faster. Its handling wasn't as good as the Dauntless' though, so that's why pilots disliked it in the beginning.

Cool story, nice to hear! There's only one flying right now, and they're pretty rare. But yeah, 30 000 made, and most of them being destroyed?

The Japanese must've shot down a LOT of them...

Messy1 · 07-24-2009, 03:28 PM

Thanks Catch. I am at work and didn't have the time available to me to track that info down.

Sweb · 07-26-2009, 05:55 PM

The Douglas SBD Dauntless & Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

RabidAlien · 07-26-2009, 11:03 PM

Amazon.com: Dauntless Helldivers: Harold L. Buell: Books

A good book by a Helldiver driver.

ccheese · 07-30-2009, 07:40 PM

I'd like someone to recover it and restore it. Another SB2C on it's main gear would be great.

The water is fresh, and probably cold, so deterioriation should be at a minimum.

Charles

Gnomey · 07-30-2009, 08:12 PM

Yeah she shouldn't be in too bad a shape. What a great find, would be great to see her restored.

Aaron Brooks Wolters · 07-30-2009, 09:06 PM

What a find!!!! It would be nice to have it in the air again!

Thanks for the post Gary!

07-24-2009, 08:59 AM	#1
Geedee Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Wiltshire, UK Posts: 765	Search for fish....finds Helldiver ! Crickey !. Look whats been found by a guy out fishing !!! Lets hope she's in good enough condition to make a recovery attempt a go'er. Search for fish unearths history __________________ Cheers Gary Not only am I a master of suspense, but I... http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/sta...ect-18113.html "I’ll never worry about meeting a FW 190 in a 51 since I was able to outturn, outdive and generally out-maneuver him at all altitudes, from 23,000 feet to the deck; I could follow him in anything and do a lot more besides.” Richard D Bishop, 11 Sept 1944, 55th FG

07-24-2009, 09:40 AM	#2
Thorlifter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 4,346	Cool find. I hope they bring it up too. It said in the article the U.S. build 30,000 planes in the Helldiver family. That had to be a typo. __________________

07-24-2009, 09:54 AM	#3
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Even factoring in Shrikes and the Canadian built units, it still doesn't come anywhere near 30,000. I have heard the 7,100ish figure bounced about many times. Gotta love non-aviation press reporters... __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

07-24-2009, 10:41 AM	#5
comiso90 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: FL Posts: 3,294	Cant hear enuf stories like that... thx __________________ http://www.BOOKSonWAR.com/ .

07-24-2009, 11:32 AM	#6
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	From what they are saying, it's in pretty good shape. I am waiting to see some pictures. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

07-24-2009, 10:36 AM	#4
timshatz Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Phila, Pa Posts: 3,446	Guy probably counted every plane that could carry a bomb that was made for the Navy during WW2. Dauntlesses, Vindicators, the odd Hellcat. Or maybe the dude just got it way wrong. Does anyone know anything about this Resevoir? Sounds like it is fresh water. Being 80Ft down, it should be out of the sunlight and that would probably mean decay was fairly slow. Thinking of the SBD they just pulled out of Lake Michigan. That one still had the paint on it.

07-24-2009, 01:08 PM	#7
diddyriddick Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Hamlet, NC, US Posts: 723	The article also states that most of the Helldivers were shot down or destroyed by equipment failure. Did I miss something? Nice find, Btw. Thanks!

07-24-2009, 01:32 PM	#8
Messy1 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ankeny, Iowa Posts: 1,411	He'll definitely need a bigger net. Great find! I am sure it will be brought up. I always thought the Helldiver was not that popular of a design, many pilots preferred the older Dauntless over it. IIRC, it had some stability and design issues. __________________ Bryon O P-61 Black Widow-Mistress of the Night! "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." George S. Patton "Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government." "Oh but if I went 'round sayin' I was Emperor, just because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away."

07-24-2009, 03:28 PM	#10
Messy1 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ankeny, Iowa Posts: 1,411	Thanks Catch. I am at work and didn't have the time available to me to track that info down. __________________ Bryon O P-61 Black Widow-Mistress of the Night! "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." George S. Patton "Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government." "Oh but if I went 'round sayin' I was Emperor, just because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away."

07-26-2009, 05:55 PM	#11
Sweb Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 277	The Douglas SBD Dauntless & Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

07-26-2009, 11:03 PM	#12
RabidAlien Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hurst, Texas Posts: 2,827	Amazon.com: Dauntless Helldivers: Harold L. Buell: Books A good book by a Helldiver driver. __________________ Pillage, then burn. Argue not with dragons, for thou art crunchy and go well on toast.

07-30-2009, 07:40 PM	#13
ccheese Older Than Dirt Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia Posts: 7,309	I'd like someone to recover it and restore it. Another SB2C on it's main gear would be great. The water is fresh, and probably cold, so deterioriation should be at a minimum. Charles __________________ I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either....

07-30-2009, 08:12 PM	#14
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,224	Yeah she shouldn't be in too bad a shape. What a great find, would be great to see her restored. __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

07-30-2009, 09:06 PM	#15
Aaron Brooks Wolters Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Abingdon, VA. Posts: 2,300	What a find!!!! It would be nice to have it in the air again! Thanks for the post Gary!

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