F7C Seahawk
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| F7C-1 Seahawk | |
|---|---|
 Curtiss F7C-1 |
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| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company |
| Maiden 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.
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.
The prototype XF7C-1 first flew on February 28, 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.
[edit] Variants
- XFC-2: Single F7C-1 conversion for evaluation with the 575 HP (429-kW) Wright R-1820-1 Cyclone radial engine and full-span flaps.
- XFC-3: A demonstration prototype for China with an armament of four .30 cal (7.62 mm) 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 The type was superseded by the Model 64, Curtiss F11C Goshawk.
[edit] 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/sec)
Armament
- Two .30 cal (7.62 mm) Browning fixed forward-firing machine guns in the forward fuselage
[edit] References
- Lloyd S. Jones, U.S. Naval Fighters (Fallbrook CA: Aero Publishers, 1977, ISBN 0-8168-9254-7), pp. 50-52
- The complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft cover Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, (Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152 pp.
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