Curtiss SC
| Curtiss SC Seahawk | |
|---|---|
 Curtiss SC-1 of the US Navy 1944 |
|
| Type: | Reconnaissance plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
February 16, 1944 |
| Commissioning: |
October 1944 |
| Production time: |
1944 to 1945 |
| Number of pieces: |
577 |
The Curtiss SC Seahawk was an American , single-seat, airborne close -up reconnaissance aircraft from the Second World War .
description
The pattern was designed as the successor to the Vought OS2U Kingfisher , the Curtiss SOC Seagull and the unsuccessful Curtiss SO3C Seamew . The first prototype started on February 16, 1944, and in October of the same year the first series machines were taken over by the US Navy . These specimens were delivered with a fixed wheel chassis, the floats were assembled by the Navy itself. At first an attempt was made to place a bomb load in the central float, but sealing difficulties prevented this. Instead, additional fuel tanks were installed there, in addition to the two drop-off 227 liter tanks under the wings. A total of 567 SC-1s were built.
In 1945 ten SC-2s were also built, differing from the SC-1 by the more powerful 1,425 hp R-1820-76 engine, a cockpit without struts and a modified tail unit. Further orders were canceled at the end of the war.
The Seahawk flew until 1949, after which it was finally replaced by helicopters .
The design was designed as a metal low-wing aircraft with a central float and two support floats. It was used mostly by battleships and heavy cruisers , from where it was launched with a catapult . After the landing, the aircraft was taken back on board with a crane.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Curtiss SC-1 data |
|---|---|
| Hull length | 8.84 m |
| Length (incl. Float) | 11.09 m |
| Wingspan | 12.50 m |
| Wing area | 26.19 m² |
| Wing loading | 155 kg / m² |
| height | 4.99 m (on auxiliary trolley) |
| drive | A Wright R-1820 -62 air-cooled 9-cylinder radial engine with 1,350 hp |
| Top speed | 454 km / h at an altitude of 7,700 m |
| Marching speed | 240 km / h |
| Landing speed | 108 km / h |
| Range | 1,045 km (without additional tanks) |
| crew | 1 man |
| Service ceiling | 9,760 m |
| Empty weight | 2,862 kg |
| All-up weight | 4,078 kg |
| Armament | Two 12.7 mm machine guns, 294 kg bomb load |
