Curtiss F7C Seahawk

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F7C-1 Seahawk
The Curtiss XF7C-1 in June 1929
General information
TypeFighter
ManufacturerCurtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Primary userUnited States Marine Corps
Number built17
History
First flight28 February 1927
Retired1933

The Curtiss F7C Seahawk is a carrier-capable biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Navy Marine Corps in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Design and development

Curtiss' Model 43 was their first aircraft designed expressly for the Navy, rather than a modified Army type. While clearly a descendant of the

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

The

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

The XF7C-1 as a seaplane without the cowling.
  • 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)
    full-span flaps
    .
  • XF7C-3: A demonstration prototype for
    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 The type was superseded by the Model 64, F11C Goshawk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

 United States

Specifications (F7C-1)

Data 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

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss F7C Seahawk.

Notes

  1. ^ Skyways, July 2001, p. 60.
  2. ^ Barrow 1981, p. 49.
  3. ISBN 0370100298
    .
  4. ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Bibliography

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