Explore the controversial legacy of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, often regarded as one of the most challenging dive bombers ever produced. Despite its troubled history, this aircraft played a ...

Arguably the most important U.S. aircraft in World War II’s Pacific Theater was the Douglas SBD (“Scout Bomber Douglas”) Dauntless. Nearly 6,000 of the planes were manufactured during the war and ...

Pilot John Leppla, right, was a WWII Navy ace, credited with shooting down five Japanese aircraft in aerial combat before he was shot down and declared Missing in Action. (U.S. Navy/National ...