curtiss sb2c helldiver

While the Curtiss SB2C (Model 84) was the replacement for aging Curtiss SBC biplanes, the SB2U Vindicator and the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber, it took a long gestation period to win over the air crews who had a strong attachment to the easier-to-fly and highly successful SBD Dauntless. After the XSBC-1 crashed in September 1934 due to a failure in t… One can see history in the Museum’s Helldiver (BuNo 83479), which is on display at our Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Although production problems persisted throughout its combat service, it was reported that some pilots soon changed their minds favorably about the potency of the Helldiver,[4] and in spite of its problems, the aircraft was flown through the last two years of the Pacific War with a fine combat record, due to the high training of its crews. Curtiss SB2C Helldiver adalah sebuah pesawat pembom tukik yang berbasis kapal induk yang diproduksi untuk Angkatan Laut Amerika Serikat pada Perang Dunia II.Pesawat tersebut menggantikan Douglas SBD Dauntless dalam pelayanan Angkatan Laut AS. Helldivers were still only slowly replacing Dauntlesses in June 1944 when a defining moment highlighted the aircraft’s weaknesses. The SBC was a biplane design that began in 1933 as a two-seat fighter with dive bombing capabilities (XF11C) and was subsequently revised to scout-bomber specifications. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. Large-scale production had already been ordered on 29 November 1940, but a large number of modifications were specified for the production model. [18] The Helldiver, however, could still deliver ordnance with more precision against specific targets and its two seat configuration permitted a second set of eyes. In early 1944, deliveries of the SB2C-3 brought great improvements (with some pilots using “The Beast” nickname affectionately), but the airplane was unable to completely shed its bad reputation. This meant the Helldiver’s tail had less directional authority than the Dauntless despite needing more to control a bigger, heavier airplane. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a rather unassuming dive bomber / reconnaissance aircraft serving throughout World War 2 beginning in 1943. It performed its maiden flight in December 1940, was introduced in 1942, and was retired in 1959. [13] The Helldivers would participate in battles over the Marianas, Philippines (partly responsible for sinking the Musashi), Taiwan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa (in the sinking of the Yamato). [5] An SB2C Helldiver failed to catch the wire on landing and hit the first barrier, nose-diving into the deck (USS Hornet, 3 July 1944). It had aerodynamic problems, while the changes added another three thousand pounds to the airplane’s weight . [13] The SB2C-1 could deploy slats mechanically linked with undercarriage actuators that extended from the outer third of the wing leading edge to aid lateral control at low speeds. First entering combat at Rabaul in November 1943, by the middle of 1944 it had completely replaced its predecessor,the Douglas SBD Dauntless, aboard the fast carriers. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II. After unsatisfactory tests that pinpointed "appalling handling", none of the British Helldivers were used in action. Saddled with demanding requirements set forth by both the U.S. Marines and United States Army Air Forces, the manufacturer incorporated features of a "multi-role" aircraft into the design. The U.S. Navy would not accept the SB2C until 880 modifications to the design and the changes on the production line had been made, delaying the Curtiss Helldiver's combat debut until November 11, 1943 with squadron VB-17 on the USS Bunker Hill, when they attacked the Japanese-held port of Rabaul on the island of New Britain, north of Papua New Guinea. In May 2012 the US Navy conducted a survey of the aircraft, recovering a data plate from the horizontal stabalizer. The Helldivers soon became well thought of by the French troops on the ground during the battle at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. National Archives and Records Administration Suitably modified, the aircraft was reclassed as a scout-bomber (SB) around the time Northrop had become Douglas’ El Segundo division. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was the successor of the Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber. At the same time, the Grumman TBF / Eastern Division TBM Avenger torpedo bomber proved itself equally capable as a level bomber. They were also used extensively in patrols during the period between the dropping of the atomic bombs and the official Japanese surrender, and in the immediate pre-occupation period. "Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB/VC, Mk IX Lf/HF, Mk XVI. Surplus aircraft were sold to the naval air forces of France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Thailand. These would be the last combat missions for the Helldiver but probably the most effective missions in the aircraft’s history.[25]. The Navy’s requirements for this new monoplane dive bomber were challenging: it had to be able to carry a significant weight of weaponry internally while incorporating specific equipment and structural features within an airframe small enough to fit two on the elevators of the new Essex class carriers. [20], American Aid provided the Hellenic Air Force with 42 Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldivers from surplus U.S. Navy stocks. None of the SB2C’s features were entirely new, only the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine had yet to be proven on other aircraft, but some features had not previously appeared on a Curtiss design, and some of the internal systems pushed the state-of-the-art. They were also used in the 1945 attacks on the Ryuku Islands and the Japanese home island of Honshū in tactical attacks on airfields, communications, and shipping. [8] The Helldiver would remain in Navy and Marine Corps service until 1950, but after the war, the U.S. sold surplus Helldivers to the navies of Italy, Portugal, Thailand, Greece, and France. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (known as the A-25 Shrike in USAAF service) was a carrier-borne dive bomber first flown in late1940 andused mainly by the United States Navy. [3], Delays marred its production—by the time the A-25 Shrike variant for the USAAF was deployed in late 1943, the Army Air Forces no longer had a need for a thoroughbred dive bomber. The first deployment model was the SB2C-1C. [2] Neither pilots nor aircraft carrier skippers seemed to like it. The first production SB2C-1 Helldiver did not fly until June 1942, with the first deliveries to fleet squadrons at the end of that year. In the spring of 1949, the aircraft were given to 336 Fighter Squadron (336 Μοίρα Διώξεως) to replace Supermarine Spitfires and the squadron's name was changed to 336 Bomber Squadron (336 Μοίρα Βομβαρδισμού).[21]. The. Naval Aviation at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. From September through December 1945, this aircraft was assigned to Bombing Squadron (VB) 92, the “Battling Beasts,” aboard the U.S.S. [12], The U.S. Navy would not accept the SB2C until 880 modifications[7] to the design and the changes on the production line had been made, delaying the Curtiss Helldiver's combat debut until November 11, 1943 with squadron VB-17 on the USS Bunker Hill, when they attacked the Japanese-held port of Rabaul on the island of New Britain, north of Papua New Guinea. "The Douglas SBD Dauntless & Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. 1 Description 1.1 Variants 2 History 2.1 Development 2.2 Service 2.3 Notes 3 References Requiring a crew of 3, the aircraftwas powered bya single Wright R-2600-8 Cyclone radial engine. By late 1943 when the A-25A was being introduced, the USAAF no longer had a role for the dive bomber, as fighter aircraft such as the P-47 Thunderbolt had shown their ability to carry out tactical air support missions with great success. Thus, the SB2C was the last dive bomber in the Navy’s inventory. The SB2C-4 and SB2C-5, more than 3,000 of which were built, were developments of the SB2C-3 with perforated wing flaps and under-wing bomb racks under the outer wings for eight 115mm rockets. [7] The Helldiver's aileron response was also poor and handling suffered greatly under 90 knots airspeed; since the speed of approach to land on a carrier was supposed to be 85 knots, this proved problematic. ", "Former mechanic at the Navy Air Base in Tillamook remembers 62-year-old crash near Rockaway Beach. The entire strike was launched at extreme range, and this distance significantly affected the Helldivers due to their smaller fuel load: only five returned to land safely on the carriers. As a result, the XSB2C-1 suffered from poor handling, directional instability, and bad stall characteristics. [16] One of the faults remaining with the aircraft through its operational life was poor longitudinal stability, resulting from a fuselage that was too short by necessity of the SB2C to fit on aircraft carrier elevators. This substantially solved the chronic lack of power that had plagued the aircraft. The Museum began another restoration in 2010 and put 83479 on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center in 2014, wearing its VB-92 markings. A total of 26 aircraft, out of 450 ordered, were delivered to the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, where they were known as the Helldiver I. Nevertheless, the Helldiver’s problems proved too much trouble for these additional customers. Livery support and multiple skins. The SB2C was much faster than the SBD and the crew nicknames for the aircraft included the Big-Tailed Beast or just the derogatory Beast, Two-Cee, and Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class, (after […] Preservation with a Can-Do Attitude, A Seat in the Cockpit: Recognizing and Replacing Biases with Gender Inclusive Language, Looking Back at the Tulsa Race Massacre, 100 Years Later. ", "Navy WWII Aircraft Found in Tillamook County, Oregon. Accordingly, the new airplane was designated SBD, the Dauntless. "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver: The Last Dive Bomber," p. 3. The plane has working props, working control surfaces, working congtrol wheel/yoke, working lit guages, running lights, interior light, working landing gear, flaps, air brakes, and wheels. The prototype also revealed structural weaknesses, while the R-2800 engine and its 3-bladed hydraulic propeller suffered their own teething problems. The Navy accepted BuNo 83479 in May 1945. It supplemented the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. SB2C-5 Helldiver, BuNo. [21] A few were in use until 1957 as photographic aircraft. Despite these issues, the SB2C Helldiver saw extensive service during the last two years of the war. In 1938, just a year after the first deliveries of SBC-3s, the Navy issued a specification for a new monoplane dive bomber that would result in the SB2C, the third Curtiss plane to carry the name “Helldiver” but the first to carry it as an official service nickname. The SBC-3 entered Navy service in 1937 and was the last biplane combat aircraft to see Navy service. It is an SB2C-5, which featured additional fuel tanks and replaced the older ASB surface-search radar with the new APS-4 radar as standard equipment. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 18 December 1940. Dec 15, 2018 - Explore Frank Castrillo's board "Curtiss SB2C..Helldiver", followed by 266 people on Pinterest. The aircraft was a replacement of the Douglas SBD Dauntless as a carrier-based bomber in service with the United States Navy. Curtiss second Helldiver evolved from the XF12C, a parasol monoplane two-seat fighter with enclosed cockpits and retractable landing gear. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II.It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. Note the ID on the wing leading edges. Join us now! The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver also named the A-25 Strike, was built by the American company Curtiss-Wright in the Second World War. Embarked aboard the new USS Yorktown (CV-10), the ship’s commanding officer, Captain J.J. “Jocko” Clark, recommended scrapping the entire Helldiver program. In December that year, it suffered an in-flight wing failure that destroyed it without ever being turned over to the Navy for testing. Around 7140 of those aircrafts were produced in all variants. The Navy, however, only expected it to be a stopgap for what would come next. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. The Helldiver was developed to replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless; it was a much larger aircraft able to operate from the latest aircraft carriers of the time and carry a considerable array of armament and featured an internal bomb bay that reduced drag when carrying heavy ordnance. Continue The early prognosis of the "Beast" was unfavourable as it was strongly disliked by aircrews due to its size, weight, and reduced range compared to the SBD it replaced. Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was an American dive bomber. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver is a single-engine two-seat carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced by the US-American manufacturer Curtiss-Wright Airplane Company. Greek SB2C-5 Helldivers had minor changes for their COIN operations: Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldivers, Supermarine Spitfires and North American T-6D/Gs were used in ground attack missions against Communist ground forces, camps and transports during the last stages of the Greek Civil War. Though Curtiss had made numerous changes, the -1 production model still suffered from a number of difficulties. It just missed the end of the war but saw service in the western Pacific and occupied Japan, its only carrier deployment. SB2C-1s in tricolor scheme (front) on the flight deck of USS Yorktown in 1943. The SB2C was the third carrier-based dive bomber called “Helldiver” and produced by Curtiss. Greek SB2Cs served in combat in the Greek Civil War with additional machine guns mounted in wing pods. Once assigned to carriers, it had tailwheel and hook failures that limited it to service ashore until the problems were addressed. In his opinion, the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair fighter-bombers were better suited to the job. On 19 December 2011 Scuba divers off the coast of Jupiter, Florida came across a SB2C Helldiver while under water. "Curtiss Helldiver". "Of Hosenoses, Stoofs, and Lefthanded Spads. 18th Annual Photo Contest Winners and Finalists Announced! ", Winchester, Jim. HA2202 SB2C-3 Helldiver VB-18, USS Intrepid Oct. 1944, (sinking Musashi) HA2203 SB2C-4E Helldiver VB-84 USS Bunker Hill Tokyo Raids February 1945: HA2206 SB2C-4E Helldiver Black 47, ASW aircraft VS-31 "Topcats" NAS Atlantic City New Jersey: HA2207 SB2C-4 Helldiver VB-83, USS Essex "White 207" During the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Adm. Marc Mitscher launched a strike force against the Japanese carriers that included 51 SB2C-1C Helldivers and 26 Dauntlesses. Product information "Aeroplane Heaven - Curtiss SB2C Helldiver" This is a brand-new simulation of the last purpose-built dive-bomber used by the US Navy. sb2c-1c — sb2c-1 тільки курсове озброєння замінено на дві 20-мм гармати. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was the main US Navy dive bomber during the last two years of the Second World War. "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver: The Last Dive Bomber", p. 4. "Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a US Navy dive bomber used during World War II. The SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced. Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN., William Green and Gordon Swanborough. [7] The first version of the SB2C-1 was kept stateside for training, its various development problems leading to only 200 being built. In operational experience it was found that the U.S. Navy's F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair fighters were able to carry an equally heavy bomb load against ground targets and were vastly more capable of defending themselves against enemy fighters. Machine gun working. The Helldiver is also the last significant combat aircraft produced by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Subsequently, while further improved SB2C-4 and -5 models (deliveries beginning late 1944 and early 1945, respectively) began living up to the promise of the Helldiver’s design, the era of the dedicated dive-bomber was coming to an end. Overall, the Helldiver made a poor first impression among both aircrew and maintainers, earning it the pejorative nicknames “The Big-Tailed Beast” (often shortened to just “The Beast”) and “Son of a Bitch, 2nd Class” (a play on the SB2C designation and the Navy’s enlisted rank abbreviations). The aircraft was a two-seat scout and Dive-Bomber. Title: Curtiss SB2C Helldiver No 1 and 2 Designed to a US Navy specification for a new scout-bomber to replace the earlier biplane SBC Helldiver, the first Curtiss XSB2C Helldiver was flown in 1940. The lone XSB2C-1 prototype’s maiden flight was December 18, 1940, but it crashed in February 1941 and had to be rebuilt. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver-page contains all related products, articles, books, walkarounds and plastic scale modeling projects dedicated to this aircraft. SB2C-4E of VB6 in 1945. Curtiss SB2C Helldiver: TOP OF PAGE. The Helldiver did not make its combat debut until November 1943, in a raid on the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul. ", "Maui Helldiver dive bomber wreck dive SB2C-1C. It was a considerably larger and faster aircraft than its predecessor … [9] It crashed on 8 February 1941 when its engine failed on approach, but Curtiss was asked to rebuild it. 83479 - under restoration at the NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport. To make matters worse, Curtiss was producing the Helldiver at a brand-new plant, which caused its own delays. [19], A comparable scenario accompanied the Helldiver's service with the British. Smithsonian Voices National Air and Space Museum. It was finally delivered to the Smithsonian in 1960. The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II. The remaining A-25As were similarly employed as trainers and target tugs. Configured for one pilot and one gunner, the rear seat was for the gunner who faced backwards to defend the Helldiver from attack from behind. The -5 also carried over changes from earlier models such as a more powerful engine (1900 hp / 1417 kw vs. 1500 hp / 1119 kw in the -1), a four-bladed electric propeller, perforated dive brakes to improve handling, and wing racks for additional bombs or rockets. The plastic model is produced by “Short-run” technology and it is designed for experienced modelers older than 14 years. A carrier-based dive and torpedo bomber, the Helldiver was designed to replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless. In 1975, we loaned the airplane to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, where it was restored and put on display until 2003. [23], Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldivers saw a relatively brief combat service and were gradually phased out by 1953. The Model XSB2C-1 prototype initially suffered teething problems connected to its R-2600 engine and 3-bladed propeller; further concerns included structural weaknesses, poor handling, directional instability and bad stall characteristics. By the end of the war, changes in technology meant other aircraft could deliver an equal or greater ordnance load with comparable accuracy, eliminating the need for a specialized dive bomber. Flown by pilot Mark Allen at the Hamilton Air Show June 2011. What a great name!". The Navy also may have been lulled into taking a chance based on design studies and wind tunnel tests. On 25 March 2010, the Oregon State Police, Tillamook County Sheriff's Office and the United States Navy announced that during a logging operation near Rockaway Beach, Oregon, the wreck of an SB2C Helldiver was located. ", "Curtiss SBW-1B Helldiver (Curtiss SB2C Helldiver).". Give a Gift. [22] The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was the US Navy's principal dive bomber during the latter part of WWII. Even as the Navy placed its first orders for the biplane SBC in 1936, the Navy was already looking for a monoplane to replace it. Vice-Adm. John McCain, who commanded the fast carrier task force (TF 38) for the last year of the war, declared that there was “no place for a plane with the performance of the SB2C” on the carriers. The Navy's Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Was Flawed, But It Sank Japanese Warships. The Avenger had a somewhat shorter range than the Helldiver but offered a similar payload and slightly more speed. The -5 also carried over changes from earlier models such as a more powerful engine (1900 hp / 1417 kw vs. 1500 hp / 1119 kw in the -1), a four-bladed electric propeller, perforated dive brakes to improve handling, and wing racks for additional bombs or rockets. Though the U.S. Navy was the primary customer, both the British navy and the Australian air force placed orders for Helldivers. Delivery of an SB2C-5 to Thailand in 1951. The SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced. Curtiss redesignated the plane XS4C-1 and then XSBC-1, in hopes of having it accepted as a scout bomber. The Curtiss-Electric propeller and the complex hydraulic system had frequent maintenance problems. A total of 7,140 SB2Cs were produced in World War II. A carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the US Navy during WW II, the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a replacement for the Douglas SBD Dauntless. [15], The litany of faults that the Helldiver bore included the fact that it was underpowered, had a shorter range than the SBD, was equipped with an unreliable electrical system and was often poorly manufactured. Laurence M. Burke II is the curator of U.S. Taylor, John W. R. "Curtiss SB2C/A-25 Helldiver. [19] The first 10 aircraft had folding wings, while the remainder of the production order omitted this unnecessary feature. United States. He was referencing controllability issues with the small vertical tail. The French Aeronavale flew the Helldiver from 1951 to 1958. The first version of the SB2C-1 was kept stateside for training, its various development problems leading to only 200 being built. The Navy accepted BuNo 83479 in May 1945. Tellingly, only two Dauntlesses were lost: one was shot down and one crashed on landing. The French navy kept them in service until 1958, and Helldivers saw their last combat in the third phase (1946-1949) of the Greek civil war and with the French in the First Indochina War (1951-1954). It is an SB2C-5, which featured additional fuel tanks and replaced the older ASB surface-search radar with the new APS-4 radar as standard equipment. Another factor also hampered its service introductions—due to the poor handling of the aircraft both the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force cancelled substantial orders. [18] Rockets allowed precision attack against surface naval and land targets while avoiding the stresses of near-vertical dives and the demanding performance requirements that they placed on dive bombers [7]. [14], In the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 45 Helldivers were lost because they ran out of fuel on the return to their carriers. These changes, along with necessary adaptations to the production line, significantly delayed deliveries to the Navy. The Army took delivery of only about 900 A-25s before deciding it did not need a dedicated dive bomber, while both the Australians and the British quickly decided the Helldiver was unsuited to service and canceled their orders. The fighter-bombers could carry almost as large a bomb load as the Helldiver and, with the introduction of air-to-ground rockets, could deliver that payload as accurately as the Helldiver. Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver bombers from USS Yorktown (CV-10) fly over the invasion fleet, while en route to bomb targets on Iwo Jima, 22 February 1945. The Curtiss Helldiver was also license-built in Canada by Fairchild-Canada and Canadian Car & Foundry. SB2Cs were large aircraft due to the requirement of an internal bomb bay; Helldivers were built to carry a 900 kg pound bomb internally, or two smaller 700 kg weapons, or a torpedo. ". In addition, the electrical and hydraulic systems required a lot of maintenance on parts that were difficult to access. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. [10][11] VB-17 SB2C-1 which lost its tail while landing on USS Bunker Hill in 1943. A few examples are extant. (856 літаків, з них 50 — sbf-1, 28 — sbw-1b) SB2C-3 — оснащувався двигуном Wright R-2600-20 потужністю 1900 к.с., озброєння аналогічне SB2C-1C . “Hell diver” was a heroic and death-defying name for both pilots and aircraft in the popular American imagination beginning in the 1920s. The SB2C Helldiver experienced a variety of technical problems during its developemnt and after its introduction which led to a widespread dislike of the aircraft by crews. Lexington (CV-16). Initial responders believe there are possible human remains at the scene. This topic is categorised under: Aircraft » Propeller » Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. SB2C lebih cepat ketimbang SBD yang ia gantikan. 75552 - under restoration by Vultures Row Aviation in, 83393 - under restoration by Fagen Fighters & Warhawks, Inc. in. ", The Commemorative Air Force's flying SB2C Helldiver, Interior and exterior spherical panoramas of Commemorative AF flying museum, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Curtiss_SB2C_Helldiver?oldid=4787977, Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in tricolor scheme and tail markings for Bombing Squadron 80 (VB80) operating off. See more ideas about wwii aircraft, aircraft, navy aircraft. Curtiss SB2C Helldiver (Commemorative Air Force), Data from United States Navy Aircraft since 1911[43], O'Rourke, G.G, CAPT USN. [3], Curtiss XSB2C Helldiver prototype on its maiden flight. In 1946, 83479 was assigned to shore-based bomber and attack squadrons for brief periods. It was also easier to fly and did not have the Helldiver’s maintenance problems. Biplane combat aircraft to see Navy service in the entire World 2014, wearing its markings... Saw service in 1942 guns mounted in wing pods Helldiver bomber aircraft produced by “ ”! 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Surplus aircraft were ordered by the Commemorative Air Force placed orders for Helldivers Gunner.! Its maiden flight in December 1940, was introduced in 1942 hopes of having it as! The MIT wind tunnel tests debut until November 1943, but was when. 1957 as photographic aircraft was designed to replace the Douglas SBD Dauntless & Curtiss SB2C Helldiver late in World II! Sb2C was the last dive bomber produced it saw an opportunity to improve a plane that had competed the. Quickly authorised and it was finally delivered to the airplane ’ s proved! Curtiss SB2C/A-25 Helldiver the Helldiver was a heroic and death-defying name for both and..., built in 1945, makes frequent Air show June 2011 on parts that difficult! Eastern division TBM Avenger torpedo bomber, '' p. 3 own teething problems of SB2Cs... The Grumman TBF / Eastern division TBM Avenger torpedo bomber, the F6F Hellcat F4U.

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