pre war US Navy dive bomber

[RCS]

pre war USN Helldiver that was landed by the rear gunner !

Information

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[Flying10uk]

Did the Helldiver have a duplicate set of controls in the rear cockpit or did the rear gunner have to climb into the front cockpit. I have heard stories of British pilots of early biplanes climbing over the top of the fuselage to change cockits.

[Peter Laidler]

What an amazing story. What I want to know is the gunners words when he realised that the plane was in a dive and the driver was missing............

[boltaction]

I would imagine it would have been something like, "My Gosh, there's no one in control. I must do something immediately", or words to that effect.

Wonder if they ever found the pilot.

Ed

[browningautorifle]

"My Gosh, there's no one in control. I must do something immediately",

Possibly...but I think more like an abridged version of that. Just a couple of words...very pointed...

[mike1967]

Interesting to note in the caption, no mention of the pilot surviving! and who gives a shite that plane has a lemon yellow engine cowling!!

[jmoore]

Interesting to note in the caption, no mention of the pilot surviving! and who gives a shite that plane has a lemon yellow engine cowling!!

Likely the reader of the publication is most interested in the colors. As it's probably a book geared toward scale model builders. Just a SWAG, as I have lots of similar books! And models, mostly gathering dust....

[mike1967]

I gathered so much, i was only having a bit of a joke

Likely the reader of the publication is most interested in the colors. As it's probably a book geared toward scale model builders. Just a SWAG, as I have lots of similar books! And models, mostly gathering dust....

[RCS]

I located some detailed photos of the inside cockpit of the SBC-3 Helldiver. The rear cockpit reveals a socket for a control stick and rudder peddles. The control stick was stowed. Good thing the rear gunner was able to find the control stick, attach it and land the aircraft. From the photos, it would have been impossible to make your way to the front cockpit as the radio equipment was in the way

[Flying10uk]

I believe that a party trick of some early British aviators was to shimmy along the top of the fusilage in order to reach the other cockpit.