Curtiss F6C Hawk
The Curtiss F6C Hawk is a late 1920s American 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 nine, but starting with the sixth example, they were strengthened for carrier-borne operations and redesignated Model 34D. Flown from the carriers and from 1927-30, most of the later variants passed to Marine Corps|Marine] fighter-bomber units, while a few were flown for a time as twin-float floatplanes.
Operators
- * VF-9M operated 5 Model 34C, F6C-1 and XF6C-4 from land bases.
- * VF-2 operated 4 Model 34D, F6C-2 from
- * VF-5S, later renamed VF-1B along with VF-8M operated 35 Model 34E, F6C-3 from
- * VF-2B operated 31 Model 34H, F6C-4 from ''Langley''
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.
- 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-6 crashed when its pilot was overcome by fumes.
- XF6C-7 Model 34H' testbed for an experimental Ranger SGV-770C-1 air-cooled inverted Vee engine.