The Helldiver's performance has been maligned by many critics, frequently without regard to the facts. Some comparisons to other Navy aircraft are enlightening. The SB2C-4 had a higher cruising speed and greater range (without drop tanks) than the TBM Avenger, and a significantly higher top speed. It easily outperformed the SBD Dauntless in every category except range. Its cruising speed was only two mph slower than the F6F Hellcat. Only the F4U Corsair, among contemporary carrier-based aircraft, had a significantly superior speed. The Corsair could carry the same load as the Helldiver but over a much shorter range. Of aircraft designed in the same, immediate pre-war period, only the Corsair outlasted it in front-line Navy service.