While the aircraft was designed to be crewed by a sole operator, there was an integral rest/recovery area in the fuselage to serve downed pilots after at-sea rescues.
Standard armament was modest - 2 x Browning M2 heavy machine guns in fixed, forward-firing mountings. Each wing was also allocated a hardpoint for the carrying of a single 250 lb conventional drop bomb. The aircraft could therefore be used to attack targets of opportunity as needed in addition to flying in its defined reconnaissance role. The starboard side wing could also support an externally-mounted radar fit which increased the tactical value of the aircraft considerably.
Getting its start back in 1942, the XSC-1 product gestated for a lengthy period by wartime standards for it was not until October of 1944 that the series was officially in active service. They were formally designated as SC-1 "Seahawk" and were delivered with fixed wheeled undercarriages before having their standard floatation gear added upon arrival. First examples were delivered to the USS Guam, an Alaska-class cruiser commissioned in September of that same year.
In practice, Seahawks proved excellent floatplanes for naval military service and came to be highly regarded in their field of expertise. However, its protracted development period limited its availability during much of the war, its first notable actions not occurring until June of 1945. By this time, the war in Europe had ended and Japan would capitulate a few months later, bringing a formal end to the war.
Beyond the SC-1 production model there existed the proposed SC-2 - a version featuring a second crewman with appropriately revised cockpit and canopy. This version was not acted on despite some nine prototypes being commissioned.
The SC-1 held a maximum speed of 315 miles per hour with a cruising speed nearing 125 mph. Its range was out to 625 miles with a service ceiling up to 37,300 feet. Rate-of-climb was a useful 2,500 feet per minute.
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
