World War 2 (1939-1945) required an equal victory over the sea as it did over land, particularly for nations dependent on free access to critical ocean spaces of the world - nations such as the United States, Britain, and the Empire of Japan. In response to this need, a slew of floatplane and flying boat aircraft were fielded during the grand conflict and these designs ranged from prewar offerings to all-new developments. As the fighting raged on in the Pacific, the United States Navy (USN) looked to strengthen its stock of serviceable reconnaissance-minded floatplanes. One endeavor produced the Curtiss SC "Seahawk" of which 577 were ultimately built. First flight of the type was recorded on February 16th, 1944 with service introduction following that same year. It served into the post-war years and was not retired until 1949.
As early as 1942 the prospect of a new floatplane was in the works for the USN. America had been at war since the events of Pearl Harbor back in December of 1941 and reinforcement of all branches of service was now the call of the day. Preliminary interest led to the USN contracting Curtiss Aeroplane to develop a pair of prototypes based on a new floatplane design submission. The contract was signed on August 25th, 1942, less than a month after the company had submitted their proposal and this also included an order for several service test aircraft to evaluate the viability of the new airplane under service conditions.
As was the practice with many aviation products seen during the war years, Curtiss Aeroplane was already granted a serial production contract even before the first prototype had gone airborne - such was the expediency at which many aircraft designs evolved during the war. The USN called for 500 examples of the floatplane to be produced.
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.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).
✓Maritime / Navy
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
RUGGED AIRFRAME
Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.
EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE
Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.
MARITIME OPERATION
Ability to operate over ocean in addition to surviving the special rigors of the maritime environment.
BAILOUT PROCESS
Manual process of allowing its pilot and / or crew to exit in the event of an airborne emergency.
ENCLOSED CREWSPACE(S)
Features partially- or wholly-enclosed crew workspaces.
Length
36.4 ft (11.09 m)
Width/Span
41.0 ft (12.50 m)
Height
18.0 ft (5.49 m)
Empty Wgt
6,321 lb (2,867 kg)
MTOW
8,999 lb (4,082 kg)
Wgt Diff
+2,679 lb (+1,215 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Curtiss SC-1 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Wright R-1820-62 Cyclone radial piston engine developing 1,350 horsepower driving four-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Curtiss SC-1 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
STANDARD:
2 x 0.50 cal (12.7mm) fixed, forward-firing heavy machine guns.
OPTIONAL:
2 x 100 lb or 250 lb general purpose bombs held underwing.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 2
Mounting Points
-
-
-
-
5
-
-
-
4
-
-
-
-
HARDPOINT(S) KEY:
X
15
13
11
9
7
5
3
1
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
COLOR KEY:
Fuselage Centerline
Fuselage Port/Wingroot
Fuselage Starboard/Wingroot
Wing/Underwing
Wingtip Mount(s)
Internal Bay(s)
Not Used
Note: Diagram above does not take into account inline hardpoints (mounting positions seated one-behind-the-other).
XSC-1 - Prototype Designation; two examples produced.
SC-1 - Initial Produciton Model Designation; 566 examples produced; introduced in 1944.
SC-2 - Improved two-seat SC-1; nine examples produced; appearing in 1946.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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