Curtiss Falcon

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The Curtiss Falcon is a family of military biplane aircraft built by the United States aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.

U.S. Navy variants were used initially as fighter-bombers with the designation F8C Falcon, then as the first U.S. Marine Corps dive bombers with the name Helldiver. Two later generations of Curtiss dive-bombers would also be named Helldiver.

The type was introduced in 1925 and saw first-line service in the United States until 1934. Curtiss Falcons fought in the Constitutional Revolution of 1932 in Brazil, used by the forces of São Paulo.

Design and development

The Falcon XO-1 prototype was evaluated by the USAAC along with eleven other prototypes in 1924 and the Douglas XO-2 was declared the winner of that competition. So Curtiss re-engined the prototype with the Packard 1A-1500 for the 1925 trials, which it won. The engine failed to live up to expectations and the O-1 ordered by the Army was fitted with the 435 hp (324 kW) Curtiss V-1150 (D-12) engine.^[1]

The aircraft was a conventional unequal-span biplane design with wooden wings, while the fuselage was built using aluminum tubing with steel tie-rod bracing.^[2] The landing gear was fixed and the tail included a balanced rudder with a rear skid originally, later changed to a tailwheel.

The initial A-3 Falcon order was placed in the winter of 1927 and delivery of the first plane was in October 1927. A total of 76 A-3s were received. Later, six aircraft were modified as pilot trainers with dual controls and redesignated A-3A. A second batch of 78 improved A-3Bs, based on the Curtiss O-1E, were purchased beginning in 1929.

Operational history

Reasonably successful as an observation aircraft, Falcons flew primarily in the 1st, 5th and 99th Observation Squadrons of the 9th Observation Group, Mitchel Field, New York. The A-3 Attack Falcon saw considerable use, in front-line service with the 8th, 13th and 19th Attack Squadrons of the 3rd Attack Group, Barksdale Field, Louisiana, and the 26th Attack Squadron in Hawaii from 1928 to 1934 and with reserve units until 1937.

The U.S. Navy introduced the F8C-1 and F8C-3 Falcon as a shipboard fighter in 1927-1928. They were later redesignated OC-1 and OC-2 for Marine Corps use as an observation/bomber. The F8C-4 Helldiver variant initially saw service with the Navy, and the first production batch of 25 was transferred in 1931 to the Marine Corps. A total of 34 F8Cs redesignated as O2C-1 observation aircraft were also transferred to the Naval Reserve in 1931, serving with squadrons VN-10RD9, VN-11RD9, and VN-12RD9. Most of the 63 newer F8C-5/O2C-1 Helldivers also served with the Marines, remaining in service until 1936. The type was featured in a number of Hollywood films: Flight (1929), Hell Divers (1932) and King Kong, both the classic 1933 movie and the 2005 remake.

Curtiss Falcon aircraft fought during the Brazil Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932, under the flag of São Paulo. In Bolivia, the aircraft type also fought in the Chaco War (1932–1935), bombing Paraguayan troopers.^[3]^[4] The Colombian Air Force used Falcon F-8 and O-1 in the Colombia-Peru War in 1932-3.

Variants

_^[2]

U.S. Army Air Corps

A-3: Model 44, attack aircraft version of O-1B, armed with two 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns and 200 lb (91 kg) of bombs; 76 built for the USAAC, including 20 diverted from original O-1B contract order.
A-3A: Six A-3s converted into trainers.
A-3B: Model 37H, attack version of O-1E, with six machine guns, including two mounted in wings; 78 built.

Curtiss XA-4 Falcon

XA-4: One A-3 with a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-1 Wasp radial piston engine. Scrapped in March 1932, but the design was the basis for the naval variants.
A-5: Proposed A-3 variant with Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror engine
A-6: Proposed A-3 variant with Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain engine

XBT-4

XBT-4: Model 46, one O-1E converted into a basic trainer for the USAAC.
XO-1: Liberty 12A powered Prototype, later modified to use a Packard 1A-1500, one built.
O-1: Model 37A, two-seat observation aircraft, the first production model, 10 built. One converted into the O-1 Special VIP transport.
O-1A: Two-seat observation aircraft, powered by the Liberty piston engine, one built.
O-1B: Model 37B, first major production version, powered by Curtiss D-12D (V-1150-3) engine; 45 ordered, 25 built and 20 diverted on the production line to the A-3.
O-1C: Four O-1Bs converted into VIP transports.
O-1E: Model 37I, variant powered by 324 kW (435-hp) Curtiss D-12E (V-1150-5) piston engine; 41 built.
O-1F: Model 37J, one O-1E converted into VIP transport.
O-1G: Model 38, final O-1 variant, powered by a 712 hp (531 kW) Wright R-1820F-2 Cyclone engine; 30 built for USAAC.
XO-11: Two O-1 modified as O-11 prototypes.
O-11: O-1 airframe powered by the Liberty V-1650 piston engine; 67 built concurrently with the O-1s.
XO-12: One XO-11 prototype redesignated XO-12.
XO-13: O-1 fitted with 720 hp Conqueror engine for the 1927 National Air Races.
XO-13A: Second XO-13, fitted with wing skin radiators.
O-13B: One O-1C fitted with a Conqueror engine, tested as an observation aircraft, and provided to Secretary of War.
YO-13C: Three O-1Es re-engined with 600 hp direct-drive Conqueror engines.
YO-13D: One O-11 fitted with supercharged Conqueror engine.
XO-16: One O-11 with Prestone cooling system.
XO-18: One O-1B testbed for Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain engine.
Y1O-26: One O-1E fitted with a geared Conqueror engine.
O-39: O-1G refitted with a Conqueror engine and cockpit canopy; 10 built.

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps

Marine Corps Curtiss OC-2 Falcon, c. 1929

The XF8C-2 prototype

The XF8C-4 prototype

The XF8C-7

A-3 Helldiver: Registry name of XF8C-8, not adopted by USN.
A-4 Helldiver: Civil version of XF8C-8 for use by Assistant Secretary of Navy David Ingalls. Later redesignated XF8C-7.
XF8C-1: Model 37C variant developed from XO-12; two built for the U.S. Navy.
F8C-1 Falcon: Model 37C powered by the 420 hp (313 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial piston engine; four built in 1928 for the U.S. Marine Corps as light bombers, fighters and observation aircraft, later redesignated OC-1.
XF8C-2: Model 49, one prototype for F8C Helldiver. Original crashed on first factory flight and was replaced by Curtiss with a second bearing identical sn.
F8C-3 Falcon: Second production batch of Navy Falcons; 21 built for USN/USMC in 1928, later redesignated OC-2.
XF8C-4: Second Helldiver prototype, modified tail skid assembly.
F8C-4 Helldiver: Model 49B, production dive-bomber variant for the USN/USMC; 25 built, later designated O2C.
F8C-5 Helldiver: Model 49B with ring cowling; 63 built in 1930–31, later designated O2C-1.
XF8C-6: Two F8C-5s modified with superchargers, slats, and wing flaps; one later modified as O2C-2.
XF8C-7: Redesignation of A-4 Helldiver, later redesignated XO2C-2.
XF8C-8: Two prototypes built with canopy-enclosed front cockpit, later redesignated O2C-2.
O2C-1 Helldiver: Redesignation of 63 F8C-5; 30 production O2C-1s in 1931.
O2C-2 Helldiver: Redesignation of XF8C-8s and one XF8C-6.
XOC-3: One XF8C-1 prototype fitted with a Chieftain engine.
XF10C-1: O2C-2 re-engined with a R-1510 engine, also temporary designated XS3C-1.

Civil and export

Civil Falcon: 20 civil versions: Conqueror Mail plane; D-12 Mailplane; Lindbergh Special, sold to Charles Lindbergh; Liberty Mailplane, 14 single-seat mailplanes, powered by a Liberty piston engines, sold to National Air Transport.
Export Falcon: also South American D-12 Falcon. One seaplane version of the O-1B was sold to Colombia, followed by an order for 15 more. Another 10 Model 35Fs were sold to Peru.^[5]
Colombia Cyclone Falcon: Model 37F fitted with the 712 hp (531 kW) Wright Cyclone radial piston engine. 100 built for Colombia.
Chilean Falcon: O-1E design built under license in Chile, 10 later sold to Brazil. One example ended up in Paraguay as passage fee for the remaining aircraft. It operated mostly as a VIP transport, but made at last one reconnaissance flight over the Chaco war fields armed with two 7.7mm MG from a Potez.
Bolivia Cyclone Falcon: Similar to Colombian Falcon, it was fitted with the 712 hp (531 kW) Wright Cyclone SR-1820F-2 radial piston engine. A total of nine were built for Bolivia in some odd variants from the Colombian ones. Bolivian Cyclone Falcons mounted one frontal .30 MG and most also one rear .30 MG instead of the two wing-mounted ones. Two had semi-cockpit canopies over pilots cockpit;two2 had windscreens instead of canopy in both cockpits, these two had no ring mount for rear MG.

Operators

Military operators

Bolivia

Bolivian Air Force

Brazil

Brazilian Air Force

Chile

Chilean Air Force

Colombia

Colombian Air Force

Paraguay

Paraguayan Air Force

Peru

Peruvian Air Force

Philippines

Philippine Army Air Corps

United States

Civil operators

United States

National Air Transport operated 14 aircraft.

Specifications Model 37H (A-3B)

Data from "United States Military Aircraft Since 1909" ^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (Pilot, observer/rear gunner)
Length: 27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m)
Height: 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m)
Wing area: 353 ft² (32.8 m²)
Empty weight: 2,875 lb (1,304 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 4,476 lb (2,030 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss D-12E (V-1150-5) V-12 liquid cooled engine, 435 hp (324 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 139 mph (223.7 km/h)
Cruise speed: 110 mph (177 km/h)
Range: 628 mi (1,010 km)
Service ceiling: 14,100 ft (4,298 m)
Rate of climb: 948 ft/min (289 m/min)

Armament

Guns: 4 × forward-firing .30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns and 2 × flexible 0.30 in (7.62 mm) Lewis machine guns on a Scarff ring.
Bombs: 200 lb (91 kg) of bombs mounted on lower wing racks.

References

Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Swanborough and Bowers 1964
↑ 2.0 2.1 Eden and Moeng Encyclopedia of World Aircraft , 2002, p. cover.
↑ Hagedorn and Sapienza 2000, p. 144.
↑ Corum, James S. "O Poder Aéreo na Guerra do Chaco" (in Portuguese). Air & Space Power Journal, February 2003.
↑ Bowers 1979, p. 311.

Bibliography

Bowers, Peter. M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
Eden, Paul and Soph Moeng (eds.). The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.
Hagedorn, Dan and Antonio Luis Sapienza. Aircraft of the Chaco War. Atglen, Pennsylvania, USA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2000. ISBN 0-7643-0146-2.
Swanborough, F. Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft Since 1909. New York: Putnam, 1964. ISBN 0-85177-816-X.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss Falcon.

Curtiss A-3 fact sheet on National Museum of the USAF website
Curtiss A-3B fact sheet on National Museum of the USAF website
Curtiss Falcons History and specifications from the reference book American Combat Planes of the 20th Century by Ray Wagner
"The West Point Of The Air"" Popular Mechanics, June 1930—photos pages 936 (middle), 939 (top) and 940 (bottom)

Aircraft produced by Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright

Manufacturer
designations

Early types	No. 1 No. 2

Model letters	C D E F G GS H J K L M N PN JN R S T

Model numbers	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 28 30 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

"CA" series	CA-1

"CW" series	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

"X" series	X-100 X-200

By role

Experimental	No. 1 Model C Tanager

Racing	No. 2 Cox Racer CR R2C R3C

Utility	Model D Model E Model F Robin Thrush

Maritime patrol	Model H HS-1L and -2L

Trainers	Model L Model JN Fledgling AT-4 Hawk AT-5 Hawk

Naval trainers	NC N2C

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	CS GS S2C XS3C S4C SC SBC SB2C XSB3C SNC 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

Bombers	Canada B-2

Naval bombers	CT BFC BF2C XBTC XBT2C

Ground attack	A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-8 YA-10 A-12 YA-14 A-18 A-25 A-40 XA-43

License production	NBS-1

v t e USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF attack aircraft designations 1924–1962

A-1¹ A-2 A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-7 A-8 A-9 A-10 A-11 A-12 A-13 A-14 A-15 A-16 A-17 A-18 A-19 A-20 A-21 A-22 A-23 A-24 A-25 A-26 A-27 A-28 A-29 A-30 A-31 A-32 A-33 A-34 A-35 A-36 A-37 A-38 A-39 A-40 A-41 A-42 A-43 A-44 A-45

¹ Not assigned

v t e USN fighter designations pre-1962

General Aviation Brewster	FA FA² F2A F3A

Boeing	FB F2B F3B F4B F5B F6B F7B F8B

Curtiss	CF F2C F3C F4C F5C¹ F6C F7C F8C F9C F10C F11C F12C F13C F14C F15C

Douglas McDonnell	XFD F2D² F3D F4D F5D F6D FD F2D to "H"

Grumman	FF F2F F3F F4F F5F F6F F7F F8F F9F-1 to -5 F9F-6 to -8 F10F F11F F12F

Eberhart Goodyear	FG F2G FG F2G

Hall McDonnell	FH FH F2H F3H F4H

Berliner-Joyce North American	FJ F2J F3J FJ-1 FJ-2/3 FJ-4

Loening Bell	FL FL YF2L-1 F2L-1K F3L

General Motors	FM F2M F3M

Naval Aircraft Factory Seversky	FN FN

Lockheed	FO (I) FO (II)

Ryan	FR F2R F3R

Supermarine	FS

Northrop	FT F2T

Vought	FU F2U F3U F4U F5U F6U F7U F8U F8U-3

Lockheed	FV

Wright CC&F	WP F2W F3W FW² F2W² F3W² F4W

Convair	FY F2Y

¹ Not assigned • ² Assigned to a different manufacturer's type See also: Aeromarine AS • Vought VE-7

v t e USAAC/USAAF observation aircraft

Observation	O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 O-11 O-12 O-13 O-14 O-15 O-16 O-17 O-18 O-19 O-20 O-21 O-22 O-23 O-24 O-25 O-26 O-27 O-28 O-29 O-30 O-31 O-32 O-33 O-34 O-35 O-36 O-37 O-38 O-39 O-40 O-41 O-42 O-43 O-44 O-45 O-46 O-47 O-48 O-49 O-50 YO-51 O-52 O-53 O-54 O-55 O-56 O-57 O-58 O-59 O-60 O-61 O-62 O-63

Observation Amphibian	OA-1 OA-2 OA-3 OA-4 OA-5 OA-6 OA-7 OA-8 OA-9 OA-10 OA-11 OA-12 OA-13 OA-14 OA-15 SA-16

USN observation aircraft designations, pre-1962

Observation

Boeing	OB O2B

Curtiss	OC O2C O3C

Douglas	OD O2D

Elias	EO

Cessna	OE

Grumman	OF

Huff-Daland	HO

Berliner-Joyce	OJ

Keystone	OK

Loening	OL O2L

Martin	MO M2O O3M

Naval Aircraft Factory	NO O2N

Viking	OO

Pitcairn	OP

Vought	UO O2U O3U O4U O5U

Stinson	OY

Pennsylvania Aircraft	OZ

Observation Scout

Edo	OSE

Naval Aircraft Factory	OSN OS2N

Stearman	OSS

Vought	OSU OS2U

USN scout aircraft designations

Scout

Aeromarine	AS

Curtiss	CS S2C S3C S4C SC³

Dayton-Wright	SDW

Bellanca	SE

Edo Aircraft	SE² S2E

Grumman	SF

Great Lakes	SG

Loening	SL S2L

Martin	MS

Sikorsky	SS

Vought	SU

Cox-Klemin	XS

Scout Bomber

Brewster	SBA SB2A

Curtiss-Wright	SBC SB2C SB3C

Douglas	SBD SB2D

Grumman	SBF

Fairchild	SBF

Naval Aircraft Factory	SBN

Vought	SBU SB2U SB3U

Canadian Car and Foundry	SBW

Scout Observation

Curtiss	SOC SO2C SO3C

Bellanca	SOE

Edo Aircraft	SOE² SO2E

Fairchild	SOK

Naval Aircraft Factory	SON

Ryan	SOR

Vought	SOU¹ SO2U

Scout Trainer

Beechcraft	SNB

Curtiss-Wright	SNC

North American	SNJ SN2J

Vultee	SNV

¹ Not assigned • ² Assigned to a different manufacturer's type • ³ Sequence restarted

v t e USAAC/USAAF/USAF/Tri-service trainer aircraft

Advanced Trainer	AT-1 AT-2 AT-3 AT-4 AT-5 AT-6 AT-7 AT-8 AT-9 AT-10 AT-11 AT-12 AT-13 AT-14 AT-15 AT-16 AT-17 AT-18 AT-19 AT-20 AT-21 AT-22 AT-23 AT-24

Basic Combat	BC-1 BC-2 BC-3

Basic Trainer	BT-1 BT-2 BT-3 BT-4 BT-5 BT-6 BT-7 BT-8 BT-9 BT-10 BT-11 BT-12 BT-13 BT-14 BT-15 BT-16 BT-17

Primary Trainer (1924-1948)	PT-1 PT-2 PT-3 PT-4 PT-5 PT-6 PT-7 PT-8 PT-9 PT-10 PT-11 PT-12 PT-13 PT-14 PT-15 PT-16 PT-17 PT-18 PT-19 PT-20 PT-21 PT-22 PT-23 PT-24 PT-25 PT-26 PT-27

Trainer (1948-)	T-6 T-13A T-13B/D T-17 T-19 T-28 T-29 T-30 T-31 T-32 T-33 T-34 T-35 T-36 T-37 T-38 T-39 T-40 T-41 T-42 T-43 T-44 T-45 T-46 T-47 T-48 (I) T-48 (II) CT-49 T-50 T-51 T-52 T-53

Tri-Service sequence (1962)	T-1 T-2

Alternate sequence (1990-)	T-1 T-2¹ T-3 T-4¹ T-5¹ T-6

¹ Not assigned

v t e Lists relating to aviation

General	Aircraft manufacturers Aircraft engines manufacturers Gliders Airlines defunct Airports Civil authorities Museums Registration prefixes Rotorcraft manufacturers Timeline

Military	Air forces Weapons Experimental Missiles Unmanned

Accidents/incidents	Commercial airliners by location Fatalities by death toll General aviation Military

Records	Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft

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