Curtiss F7C
| Curtiss F7C Seahawk | |
|---|---|
 The prototype in tests with NACA hoods |
|
| Type: | Fighter plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
February 1927 |
| Number of pieces: |
18th |
The Curtiss F7C Seahawk (factory designation Model 43) was a single-seat fighter aircraft made by the American manufacturer Curtiss Airplane and Motor Company in the 1920s.
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history
The Seahawk was built as a Curtiss contribution for a comparison flight for a new float fighter in December 1927. The victorious model should replace the Vought FU-1 , which was stationed as a fighter catapult aircraft on battleships. In addition, an alternative use as a land plane was planned from the start. Designed by Rex Beisel , who was later responsible for the development of the F4U Corsair at Chance Vought, the F7C differed significantly from the previous F6C-4 . Although it had the same engine as the 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 B Wasp, it was similar to the Curtiss Falcon wings with constant depth and a sweep of the upper surface. New were the two tanks attached to the sides of the fuselage between the truss structure and the fabric covering, which also contributed to improving the aerodynamics.
The US Navy tested the prototype from February 1927 both as a wheeled and floatplane under the still unofficial designation XF7C-1. After an accident, the original wings (22.48 m²) were replaced by the larger areas of the series version (25.54 m²). The procurement price of the prototype was $ 82,450.
use
The 17 series copies with the designation F7C-1 ordered for the US Marine Corps were delivered between November 1928 and January 1929. These were only equipped as land planes because the navy had already given up the concept of the float fighter plane when the order was placed. They differed from the prototype mainly by a reinforced landing gear and the omission of the propeller spinner. All F7C-1s were handed over to the VF-5M squadron (later renamed VF-9M) based in Quantico . The machines had no devices for operation on aircraft carriers. The service serial numbers were BuNo A-7653 to A-7670. The last F7C-1 (A-7661) retired from the Navy in August 1933 after a total flight time of 934 hours. The BuA-7655 was also used for experiments with a coaxial propeller.
The prototype BuA-7653 was mainly used for experimental purposes. The NACA used it e.g. B. for comparative tests of NACA hoods . Equipped with floats, the machine won the Curtiss Marine Trophy in 1929 with a speed of 260 km / h. After a total flight time of 527 hours, she was retired in May 1932.
Technical specifications
| Data | Parameter |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 6.88 m |
| span | 9.34 m |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1262 kg |
| drive | a radial engine Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp with 450 HP (331 kW) |
| Top speed | 250 km / h |
| Marching speed | 241 km / h |
| Summit height | 6700 m |
| Range | 570 km |
| Armament | 2 x 7.62 mm MG |
literature
- ER Johnson: United States Naval Aviation 1919-1941 , McFarland and Co., 2011, ISBN 978-0-7864-6269-8 , pp. 71 f.
- Peter Bowers : Curtiss Navy Hawks - in action , Aircraft Number 156, squadron / signal pub., 1995, ISBN 0-89747-342-6 , pp. 20-24.
- Susan Harris Encyclopedia of Aircraft Technology, Models, Data , Weltbild Verlag, Augsburg, 1994, ISBN 3-89350-055-3 , p. 82.
- Peter M. Bowers: Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947 , Putnam, 1979, ISBN 0-370-10029-8 , pp.
