Curtiss F7C Seahawk
Curtiss · United States · first flew 1927 · fighter
The Curtiss F7C Seahawk was a carrier-capable biplane fighter of the United States Marine Corps in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.89 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Constant-chord wings with slight sweepback on the upper wing
- Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine
- Fabric-covered biplane descended from the P-1 Hawk
A compact biplane fighter with constant-chord wings, a swept-back upper wing and a radial engine.
Specifications
- The Curtiss F7C Seahawk has a length of 6.89 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.35 m (31 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 250 km/h (155 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Curtiss designed the Model 43 as its first aircraft designed expressly for the Navy. The prototype XF7C-1 first flew on 28 February 1927.
Variants
Variants were the XF7C-1 prototype, the F7C-1 production version, the XF7C-2 with a Wright R-1820 and the XF7C-3 demonstrator for China.
Where you'll see it
17 F7C-1s were built and entered service with VF-5M at Quantico. In 1930 VF-9M formed the Marines' first aerobatic team, the Red Devils, and the type served until 1933.
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