- Curtiss F7C Seahawk
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F7C-1 Seahawk The Curtiss XF7C-1 in June 1929 Role Fighter Manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company First flight 28 February 1927 Retired 1933 Primary user United States Marine Corps Number built 17 The Curtiss F7C Seahawk was a carrier-capable biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Navy Marine Corps in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Contents
Design and development
Curtiss' Model 43 was their first aircraft designed expressly for the Navy, rather than a modified Army type. While clearly a descendant of the P-1 Hawk, its wings were constant-chord rather than tapered, and the upper wing had a slight sweepback. The engine was a 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-B Wasp radial. Entirely fabric-covered, the top wing was framed with spruce, while the fuselage was built from a combination of aluminum and steel tubing, sufficiently strong to serve as a dive bomber as well as a fighter.
Operational history
The prototype XF7C-1 first flew on 28 February 1927. After some modification demanded by the Navy (such as the wing sweepback), 16 production aircraft F7C-1 Seahawks were built, and entered service in the USMC's VF-5M at Quantico. They continued in service until 1933.
Variants
The XF7C-1 as a seaplane without the cowling.- XF7C-1: Prototype aircraft; one built.
- F7C-1 Seahawk: Singe-seat fighter aircraft, main production version; 17 built.
- XF7C-2: Single F7C-1 conversion for evaluation with the 575 hp (429 kW) Wright R-1820-1 radial engine and large-span full-span flaps.
- XF7C-3: A demonstration prototype for China with an armament of four .30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns, I-type interplane struts, and ailerons on both the upper and lower wings rather than on just the upper wing. The type was superseded by the Model 64, F11C Goshawk.
Operators
Specifications (F7C-1)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 22.6 ft (6.88 m)
- Wingspan: 32.67 ft (9.34 m)
- Height: 9.71 ft (2.96 m)
- Wing area: 275 ft² (25.55 m²)
- Empty weight: 2,053 lb (931 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 2,782 lb (1,262 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340-B Wasp radial engine, 450 hp (336 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 155 mph (249 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 150 mph (241 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 22,100 ft (6735 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,860 ft/min (9.45 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: 2 × fixed .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns in the forward fuselage
References
- Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng, eds. cover The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.
- Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Naval Fighters. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, 1977, pp. 50–52. ISBN 0-8168-9254-7.
USN fighter designations pre-1962 General Aviation
BrewsterBoeing Curtiss Douglas
McDonnellGrumman Eberhart
GoodyearHall
McDonnellBerliner-Joyce
North American AviationLoening
BellGeneral Motors Seversky FN
Lockheed Ryan FR • XF2R
Northrop Vought Lockheed Wright Convair Aircraft produced by Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright Manufacturer
designationsModel letters: C • D • E • F • G • GS • H • J • K • L • M • N • PN • JN • R • S
Model numbers: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 23 • 24 • 26 • 28 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59A/59B • 60 • 61 • 62 • 63 • 64 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 79 • 81 • 82 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 90 • 91 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 •
"CW" models: CW-1 • CW-2 • CW-3 • CW-4 • CW-5 • CW-6 • CW-7 • CW-8 • CW-9 • CW-10 • CW-11 • CW-12 • CW-14 • CW-15 • CW-16 • CW-17 • CW-18 • CW-19 • CW-20 • CW-21 • CW-22 • CW-23 • CW-24 • CW-25 • CW-27 • CW-29 • CW-32
By role Experimental: No. 1 • Model C • Tanager
Racing: No. 2 • CR • R2C • R3C
General utility: Model D • Model E • Model F • Robin • Thrush
Maritime patrol: Model H • HS-1L and -2L
Training: Model L • Model JN • Fledgling • AT-4 Hawk • AT-5 Hawk
Fighters: 18 • PW-8 • P-1 • P-2 • P-3 • P-4 • P-5 • P-6 • XP-31 • P-36 • P-40 • XP-46 • XP-53 • YP-60 • XP-62 • XP-71 • XP-87
Naval Fighters: HA • FC • F2C • F3C • F4C • F6C • F7C • F8C • F9C • F10C • F11C • XF12C • F13C • XF14C • XF15C
Airliners: Eagle • Condor II • Kingbird
Naval Scouts/Dive Bombers: CS • GS • S2C • XS3C • S4C • SC • SBC • SB2C • XSB3C • SOC • SO2C • SO3C
Observation: O-1 • O-12 • O-13 • O-16 • O-18 • O-26 • O-39 • O-40 • O-52
Naval Observation: OC • O2C • O3C
Naval Bombers: 24 • BFC • BF2C • XBTC • XBT2C
Ground Attack: A-3 • A-4 • A-5 • A-6 • A-8 • YA-10 • A-12 • YA-14 • A-25 • A-40 • XA-43
Licensed production: NBS-1
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- United States fighter aircraft 1920–1929
- Curtiss aircraft
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