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.
| F7C-1 Seahawk | |
|---|---|
 The Curtiss XF7C-1 in June 1929 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company |
| Primary user | United States Marine Corps |
| Number built | 17 |
| History | |
| First flight | 28 February 1927 |
| Retired | 1933 |
Design and development
editCurtiss' 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
editThe prototype XF7C-1 first flew on 28 February 1927. After some modification demanded by the Navy (such as the wing sweepback), 17 production aircraft F7C-1 Seahawks were built, and entered service in the USMC's VF-5M at Quantico. In 1930 VF-9M organized the Marines' first aerobatic stunt team, "The Red Devils", with F7Cs featuring red painted noses.[1][2] They continued in service until 1933.
Variants
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- XF7C-1: Prototype aircraft; one built.
- F7C-1 Seahawk: Single-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 The type was superseded by the Model 64, F11C Goshawk.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
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Specifications (F7C-1)
editData from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 22 ft 7.25 in (6.8898 m)
- Wingspan: 30 ft 8 in (9.35 m)
- Height: 9 ft 8.5 in (2.959 m)
- Wing area: 275 sq ft (25.5 m2)
- Airfoil: Curtiss C-72[4]
- Empty weight: 2,053 lb (931 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,768 lb (1,256 kg)
- Powerplant: × Pratt & Whitney R-1340B Wasp 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 450 hp (340 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 155.5 mph (250.3 km/h, 135.1 kn)
- Cruise speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn)
- Range: 355 mi (571 km, 308 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 22,100 ft (6,700 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,860 ft/min (9.4 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: 2 × fixed .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns in the forward fuselage
References
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Notes
edit- ^ Skyways, July 2001, p. 60.
- ^ Barrow 1981, p. 49.
- ^ Bowers, Peter M. (1979). Curtiss aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam. pp. 198–200. ISBN 0370100298.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
Bibliography
edit- Barrow, Jess C. WWII Marine Fighting Squadron Nine (VF-9M) (Modern Aviation Series). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1981. ISBN 978-0-8306-2289-4.
- 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, California: Aero Publishers, 1977, pp. 50–52. ISBN 0-8168-9254-7.
