F6C Hawk

Infobox Aircraft
name = F6C Hawk
type = Carrierborne Fighter & Land-based Fighter
manufacturer = Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company



caption = Curtiss F6C-1 - Model 34
designer =
first flight =
introduced = 1925
retired =
status =
primary user = United States Navy
more users = United States Marine Corps
produced = 1927
number built = 75
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =

The Curtiss F6C Hawk was a late 1920s United States naval biplane fighter aircraft. It was part of the long line of Curtiss Hawk airplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the American military.

Originally designed for land-based use, the Model 34C was virtually identical to the P-1 Hawk in United States Army Air Corps service. The United States Navy ordered 9, but as the sixth example was built it was strengthened for carrierborne operations and redesignated as the Model 34D. Flown from the carriers Langley and Saratoga from 1927 to 1930, most of the later variants passed to Marine fighter-bomber units, while a few were flown for a time as twin-float seaplanes.

Operators

*USA - Five Model 34C, "F6C-1" & "XF6C-4" to the US Marine Corps VF-9M squadron
*USA - Four Model 34D, "F6C-2" to the US Navy's VF-2 squadron aboard the aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV-1)
*USA - Thirty-Five Model 34E, "F6C-3" to the US Navy's VF-5S squadron, later renamed VF-1B on the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) & to the USMC VF-8M Squadron
*USA - Thirty-One Model 34H, "F6C-4" to the US Navy VF-2B squadron on the aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV-1)

Variants

* F6C-1 Model 34C virtually identical to the P-1 series
* F6C-2 Model 34D strengthened for carrierborne operations and fitted with arrester hooks
* F6C-3 Model 34E modified version of the F6C-2
* XF6C-4 Model 34H prototype "F6C-1" with a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine
* F6C-4 Model 34H production version of the "XF6C-4"
* XF6C-5 Model 34H prototype "F6C-1" with a Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet radial of 525 HP (691 kW)
* F6C-6 Model 34E modified for racing, with its radiator located inside the fuselage
* XF6C-6 Model 34E the "F6C-6" which had won the 1930 Curtiss Marine Trophy was converted to parasol-wing monoplane configuration and given wing surface radiators; after achieving the fastest lap in the 1930 Thompson Trophy race the XF6C-C crashed when its pilot was overcome by fumes
* XF6C-7 Model 34H testbed for an experimental 350 HP (261 kW) Ranger SGV-770C-1 air-cooled inverted Vee engine

pecifications (F6C-4)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew= 1
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 22 ft 6 in
length alt= 6.86 m
span main= 37 ft 6 in
span alt= 11.43 m
height main= 1 ft 11 in
height alt= 3.33 m
area main= 252 ft²
area alt= 23.41 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,980 lbs
empty weight alt= 898 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 3,171 lbs
max takeoff weight alt= 1,438 kg
more general=
engine (prop)= Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial
type of prop=
number of props= 1
power main= 410 hp
power alt= 306 kW
power original=
max speed main= 155 mph
max speed alt= 249 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 340 mi
range alt= 547 km
ceiling main= 22,900,100 ft
ceiling alt= 6,980 m
climb rate main= 2,000 ft/min
climb rate alt= 609 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* Two .30 cal (7.62 mm) Browning fixed forward-firing machine guns in the forward fuselage, plus light bombs on under-wing racks
avionics=

Related content

aircontent

sequence=
* F6C - F7C - F8C - F9C - F10C - F11C - F12C

References

*The complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft [http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/5490000/5496066.gifcover] Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, 1152 pp.