We inquired serial number 83393 years ago, but didn’t start working on the project until 2015 after the completion of a P-40.

Serial number 83393 was delivered to the U.S. Navy in the early 1940s, but crashed after stalling during a forced landing in Dahlgren, Virginia, on July 24th, 1945. The airframe was recovered and used for parts at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. until 1994 when it was sold to Kevin Smith, who is the gentleman we bought the plane from. When we got the plane, there was a significant amount of structure and a bunch of parts.

This project has been such a new and full experience. We do P-40s, and therefore, we know Curtiss well, which has been helpful while working on this airframe. The Helldiver has been a whole new experience for a couple reasons. First, it’s a much larger airframe, which means a lot more material to fabricate/work on. Second, we have never worked on a dive bomber, but only ever fighters, so that’s new too. We are learning and progressing everyday.

You can follow our project updates in the blog!

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: Curtiss-Wright 2600

Weight: 16,616 lbs. Wingspan: 49 ft. 9 in.

Length: 36 ft. 8 in.

Height: 13 ft. 2 in. Propeller: 4 bladed constant speed propeller Armament: 2 x 20 mm AN/M2 cannons, M1919 Browning machine guns (rear cockpit), M2 Browning machine guns (underwing) Bombs: 2,000 lbs. or 1 Mark 13-2 Torpedo (internal bay), 500 lbs. each wing