Planetags Curtiss SB2C-5 HELLDIVER 83393

WWII aircraft are the favorites of so many PlaneTags collectors and it's no wonder why. The will, ingenuity and resources were at an all time high when these birds were produced. The SB2C-5 Helldiver shares this moment in history and MotoArt is thrilled to have BuNo 83393 as part of our collection. Introducing Curtiss SB2C-5 PlaneTags!

The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a two seater, single engine, carrier-based dive bomber and scout plane, produced between 1943 and 1945, and utilized by the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater. It was Nicknamed The Beast, The Big-Tailed Beast and Two Cee, the Helldiver was also called S.O.B. 2nd Class - a play on the initials SB2C and referring to the Helldiver’s challenging handling characteristics. The SB2C was the last of Navy’s dive bombers, due to the changing nature of modern warfare and the expanding aviation technology.

Our plane, BuNo 83393, was built as an SB2C-5 and delivered to the U.S. Navy in May 1945. It was used as a torpedo test aircraft in Newport, RI and as a test aircraft at NAS Dahlgren, VA. On July 24, 1945, it was lost in a takeoff from USPNG Dahlgren, VA when it stalled during a forced landing. The wreck of 83393 was recovered by the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in 1993 and was used for spare parts to restore NASM’s Helldiver (BuNo 83479). Ron J. Fagen, founder of Fagen Fighters WWII Museum in Granite Falls, MN, acquired the wreck of 83393 in 2006 and has been restoring it ever since. Once completely restored, it will be the second Helldiver in flying condition. MotoArt acquired the original skin of 83393 from Fagen Fighters in 2022 and created PlaneTags.