F9C Sparrowhawk

Infobox Aircraft
name=F9C Sparrowhawk


caption=F9C Sparrowhawk BuNo 9058 in flight over Moffet Field, California in 1934. This aircraft was lost with the USS "Macon".
type=Parasite fighter
manufacturer=Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
designer=
first flight=
introduced=
retired=
status=One surviving example
primary user=
more users=
produced=
number built=
program cost=
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variants with their own articles=The Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk was a light 1930s biplane fighter aircraft that was carried by the United States Navy airships USS "Akron" and USS "Macon".

The Sparrowhawk is an example of a parasite fighter, a small airplane designed to be deployed from a larger aircraft such as an airship or bomber. At 20 feet (6m) long and with only a 25 foot (7m) wingspan, the Sparrowhawk was ideal for service in the fighter complement of large rigid-framed airships because of its small size. Although the Sparrowhawk was armed, its primary duty was reconnaissance, and it provided the airships it served with a much wider search area. The "Akron" was reported to have a complement of three Sparrowhawks, while the "Macon" was discovered at its underwater resting place with four in its hangar.

To achieve launching and recovery from the airship, a hook/anchor system was developed, dubbed by crews as "the flying trapeze". The Sparrowhawk had a hook mounting on its top wing that attached to the cross-bar of the trapeze. For launching, the biplane's hook was engaged on the trapeze inside the (internal) hangar, the trapeze was lowered clear of the hull into the (moving) airship's slipstream and, engine running, the Sparrowhawk would then disengage its hook and fall away from the airship. For recovery, the biplane would fly up underneath its mothership, moving slightly faster than the airship, and in a somewhat tricky maneuver hook onto the trapeze; the width of the trapeze cross-bar allowed a certain lateral lee-way in approach, the biplane's hook mounting had a guide rail to provide some tolerance against relative vertical motion (see photo), and engagement of the hook was automatic on positive contact between hook and trapeze. More than one attempt might have to be made before a successful engagement was achieved, for example in gusty conditions. Once the Sparrowhawk was securely caught, its engine could be safely cut and it could then be hoisted by the trapeze back within the airship's hull.

One interesting use of the Sparrowhawks was to act as "flying ballast". The airship could take off with additional ballast or fuel aboard instead of its airplanes. Once the airship was cruising, the aircraft would be flown aboard, the additional weight being supported by dynamic lift until the airship lightened.

In order to increase their scouting range while the airship was on operations, some Sparrowhawks were modified by having their landing gear removed and replaced by a fuel tank. When the airship was returning to base, the biplanes' landing gear would be replaced so that they could land independently again.

Only one Sparrowhawk survives today. It now resides in the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.

pecifications (F9C-2)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

crew=1
length main=21.08 ft
length alt=6.27 m
span main=25.5 ft
span alt=7.75 m
height main=10.92 ft
height alt=3.34 m
area main=185 ft²
area alt=16.1 m²
empty weight main=2,114 lb
empty weight alt=961 kg
loaded weight main=2,776 lb
loaded weight alt=1,262 kg
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=

engine (prop)=Wright R-975-22
type of prop=radial engine
number of props=1
power main=415 hp
power alt=310 kW

max speed main=176 mph
max speed alt=153 knots, 283 km/h
range main=297 mi
range alt=258 nm, 475 km
ceiling main=19,200 ft
ceiling alt=5,853 m
climb rate main=1,690 ft/min
climb rate alt=8.6 m/s
loading main=15 lb/ft²
loading alt=78 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.15 hp/lb
power/mass alt=240 W/kg

guns=2× 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns

Further reading

*Citation
last=Polmar
first=Norman
author-link=
publication-date=October 2007
date=
year=
title=Flying from the Clouds
periodical=Naval History
publication-place=Annapolis, Maryland
place=
publisher=United States Naval Institute
volume=21
issue=5
pages=12–13
url=http://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory
issn=1042-1920
doi=
oclc=
accessdate=

ee also

aircontent

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

related=

similar aircraft=

lists=
* List of fighter aircraft
* List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)

see also=