Curtiss F6C HAWK
United States (1924)
Detailing the development and operational history of the Curtiss F6C HAWK Naval Carrierborne Fighter Aircraft.
Entry last updated on 1/22/2017; Authored by Staff Writer; Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com Curtiss F6C HAWK
The F6C Hawk was the US Navy and Marine model of the Armys Curtiss P-1 Hawk.
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.
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.
Any available statistics for the Curtiss F6C HAWK Naval Carrierborne Fighter Aircraft are showcased in the areas immediately below. Categories include basic specifications covering country-of-origin, operational status, manufacture(s) and total quantitative production. Other qualities showcased are related to structural values (namely dimensions), installed power and standard day performance figures, installed or proposed armament and mission equipment (if any), global users (from A-to-Z) and series model variants (if any).
Curtiss F6C-3 HAWK Specifications
United States
Year: 1924
Type: Naval Carrierborne Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer(s): Curtiss - USA
Production: 75
Supported Mission Types
Air-to-Air
Interception
Unmanned
Ground Attack
Close-Air Support
Training
Anti-Submarine
Anti-Ship
Airborne Early Warning
MEDEVAC
Electronic Warfare
Maritime/Navy
Aerial Tanker
Utility/Transport
Passenger Industry
VIP Travel
Business Travel
Search/Rescue
Recon/Scouting
Special Forces
X-Plane/Development
Crew: 1
Width: 31.59 ft (9.63 m)
Empty Weight: 2,161 lb (980 kg)
MTOW: 3,349 lb (1,519 kg)
Installed Power
1 x Curtiss D.12 "Conquerer" water-cooled inline engine developing 400 horsepower.
Standard Day Performance
Maximum Speed: 154 mph (248 kph; 134 kts)
Maximum Range: 351 mi (565 km; 305 nm)
Service Ceiling: 20,299 ft (6,187 m; 3.84 mi)
Armament
STANDARD:
2 x .30 caliber machine guns
Operators List
United States
Series Model Variants
• 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.
Supported Weapon Systems
