The Curtiss F6C Hawk series of aircraft was in fact the US Navy/Marine model of the US Army's P-1 Hawk series. The US Navy found the P-1 attractive enough to begin fielding it as a carrier-based aircraft whilst the US Marines operated it as a land-based fighter.
With its origins in the Model L-18-1 (which stemmed the PW-8 US Army production fighters), the P-1 was a biplane single-engine, single-seat fighter with fixed landing gears. In the interwar years, the system would become one of the many symbols in the evolution of the aircraft during this time. Tapered-wings, wheel brakes and evermore powerful engines produced a wild amount of variants for the Curtiss company that would see the Hawk series as a frontline fighter in all the major armed services of the time.
Armed modestly with a World War One-style array of .303 caliber machine guns, the aircraft was indeed a throwback to earlier days of aerial combat. The metal body-covering was, however, a taste of things to come throughout the 1930's. With a flight ceiling of over 20,000 feet and speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour, the P-1 and F6C Hawk series was a step in the right direction for American military aviation design.
Specifications
Year: 1924
Crew 1
[ 75 Units ] : Curtiss - USA
United States
- Fighter
- Navy / Maritime
Length:
22.83 ft (6.96 m)
Width:
31.59 ft (9.63 m)
(Showcased structural dimension values pertain to the Curtiss F6C-3 HAWK production model)
Empty Weight:
2,161 lb (980 kg)
MTOW:
3,349 lb (1,519 kg)
(Diff: +1,188lb)
(Showcased weight values pertain to the Curtiss F6C-3 HAWK production model)
(Showcased powerplant information pertains to the Curtiss F6C-3 HAWK production model)
Max Speed:
154 mph (248 kph; 134 kts)
Service Ceiling:
20,299 feet (6,187 m; 3.84 miles)
Max Range:
351 miles (565 km; 305 nm)
(Showcased performance values pertain to the Curtiss F6C-3 HAWK production model; Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database)
STANDARD:
2 x .30 caliber machine guns
(Showcased armament details pertain to the Curtiss F6C-3 HAWK production model)
Model L-18-1
PW-8 - Production models of the Model L-18-1 of which 25 were produced for the US Army.
XPW-8B - Experimental variant fitted with Curtiss D-12 440hp engine.
P-1 - Production Variant of the XPW-8B
P-1A - 25 produced
P-1B - 25 produced; fitted with Curtiss V-1150-3 435hp engine.
P-1C - 33 produced; fitted with Curtiss V-1150-5 engine; wheel brakes implemented; ski landing gear.
AT-4 - Advanced Trainer Variant based on the P-1A; fitted with Wright-Hispano E 180hp engine.
P-1D - Fitted with V-1150 engine based on the AT-4 trainer model.
AT-5 - Improved trainer variant based on the P-1D model fitted with 220hp Wright Whirlwind J-5 radial engine.
P-1E - Converted AT-5 models with V-1150 engine.
AT-5A - Longer fuselage trainers; would later become P-1F.
P-1F - Converted AT-5A trainer models fitted with V-1150 engine.
F6C - United States Navy carrier-based fighter model.
F6C-1 - United States Marine Corps land-based F6C model based on the US Army P-1 fighter.
F6C-2 - Carrier-based model fitted with arrestor hook and other specialized landing equipment.
F6C-3 - Modified F6C-2 fighters
F6C-4 - Fitted with Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial generating 420hp.
* Ribbons not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns/operations.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.
Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world and WDMMA.org, the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft.
United States
