Curtiss-SPA Helldiver-ST

puddingwrestler · March 08, 2009, 08:03:59 PM

In 1940, when France surrendered to Germany, the french carrier Bearn was enroute from the US carrying forty-nine Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver dive bombers destined for the French Navy. The carrier altered course to land at Martinique, and the Helldivers where put ashore for storage. England aquired five which went on to serve as the Curtiss Cleveland Mk.1, but this still left forty-four dive bombers just sitting there. Although never a French colony, San Torta was allied to France, and held numerous treaties and contracts with that country. Through various channels, the STAF aquired twenty of the Helldivers, and had them shipped to the SPA plant in San Pudin aboard commercial freigthers. There they where converted into amphibions by having a large central faired-in float fitted (similar to the STAF's search and Resuce Grumman Ducks). This required some other modifications, as fitting the float prevented the plane from carrying the single center-line bomb it had been designed to carry. SPA engineers fitted wing pylons to carry two smaller bombs which, in some planes towards the end of the war, where switched over to rocket racks for ground attack missions.
The Helldiver-ST was, like most San Tortan wartime equipment, a compromise between the aircraft produced by major companies, San Torta's requirments, and her own industrial capacity. It was not an ideal machine, however it was incredibly cheap, and proved highly effective in the right hands.
The sole surviving Helldiver-ST can be viewed in the STAF musseum at Empanada Air Base along wiht various other ingenius conversions and modifications all but unknown outside of the Republica San Torta.

Yes! I'm at it again! This time my victim is a Matchbox Curtiss SBC-4 (the first matchbox kit I've ever built - well, the first still in it's matchbox packing anyway adn not a re-issue from revell or whatnot) which will be fitted with a duck style central float. I knew the plane had potential as a STAF bird when I saw it, and finding out about the 49 french planes rotting away on Martinique just cemented the idea. It was fate, it was density etc. etc. etc.

Watch this space for commencement of starting.

puddingwrestler · March 09, 2009, 11:24:46 PM

Starting has indeed commenced.

I have taken upon myself a Kitech DHC Beaver float and widened it through cunning application of balsa wood and plasticard. I have also sworn several oaths against ever buying Kitech again. Seriously, if I knew more about them at the time, I'd never have bought that kit.
I have also built the cockpits, adding some detail where appropriate, and painted thigns up so that the fusealge could be glued together. I've never previously built planes with pilots inside, but the spares matchbox interior needed something, and I was not up for a completely scratched interior (that would call forf reseach which eats up valouble modeling time!)

I'm going to make a start of fairing the central float into the fuselage tonight as well as filling up the undercarriage wells.

jcf · March 10, 2009, 11:24:28 AM

The Curtiss SOC is a good example to look at as far as float placement/size is concerned.

Interestingly, the Seagull was actually larger and heavier than the Helldiver.

Jon

puddingwrestler · March 12, 2009, 02:29:09 PM

I've built the basic shape of the fairing which mounts the float. It'll need puttying into the fuselage and some panel lines added, as well as a few other things (thinking about a small chin intake at the front).
Also filled in the wheel wells - built the wheels in the up position and hit them with a hell of a lot of putty. Sanding it down has subtly altered the shape of the nose.
I'll try to get some pics up tonight as this is the point at which the machine starts to look greatly different from the original.

puddingwrestler · March 15, 2009, 02:29:32 PM

Been a bit more porgress, sorry about no pics, but my parents here visiting on the weekend and inhabiting my modeling room...
I'll try to get something up tonight, mostly all PSR to go then I can quickly assemble the parts.

puddingwrestler · March 15, 2009, 10:29:09 PM

Can it be? Have pictures finally been posted? Is the suspense at an end? Has the suspension bottomed out?

Yes! It can be! There are pics! (and the suspension is shot!)

This is the float with extra width(tm) added using chunks o' balsa(tm)

And here's how the whole thing looks at present, awaiting another date with sand paper.

Brian da Basher · March 17, 2009, 05:24:16 PM

That's some mighty fine progress and some very skilled work modifying the float. Looks like Loening goes Hollywood!

Brian da Basher

puddingwrestler · March 17, 2009, 07:39:10 PM

Loening?
I know Leunig (Melborune newspaper cartoonist for The Age newspaper) but not this Loening.

jcf · March 17, 2009, 11:45:53 PM

Quote from: puddingwrestler on March 17, 2009, 07:39:10 PM
Loening?
I know Leunig (Melborune newspaper cartoonist for The Age newspaper) but not this Loening.

Roy Grumman worked for Grover Loening before setting up shop under his own name,
the float layout used on the Grumman Duck originated with Loening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loening_Aircraft_Engineering

Jon

sequoiaranger · March 18, 2009, 06:12:05 AM

...how this is coming along!

puddingwrestler · March 18, 2009, 02:23:21 PM

Bit more progress. The puttying is now complete and the tail is attached. I've also glued one lower wing on, leave that to dry today and then add the other.
I've broken one of the fuselage to upper wing struts (and lost the broken piece!) so some scratch-building replacement will be required.

puddingwrestler · March 19, 2009, 02:25:42 PM

Fixed the strut and stuck the wing on. Then the wing fell off again and I glued it on again.
Hopefully be able to start the paint on Sunday (will be leaving for melbourne this arvo and returning sunday morning)