Curtiss SC Seahawk

Curtiss · United States · first flew 1944 · fighter

The Curtiss SC Seahawk was a single-seat scout floatplane designed for catapult launching from US Navy battleships and cruisers during World War II. It replaced the earlier OS2U Kingfisher as the standard US Navy shipboard scout aircraft.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	11.09 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

US Navy shipboard scout floatplane, single large central float
Single-seat monoplane with outrigger stabilising floats
Catapult-launched from battleships and cruisers

A clean, modern-looking floatplane — single large central float, retractable outrigger floats, bubble canopy, and a mid-wing monoplane layout — significantly more refined than its OS2U predecessor.

Specifications

The Curtiss SC Seahawk has a length of 11.09 m (36 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.5 m (41 ft).
Its maximum speed is 504 km/h (313 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in February 1944, the SC entered service in late 1944 and served through the end of World War II. It was the last purpose-built catapult floatplane accepted for US Navy service, as the helicopter and carrier aircraft made the type obsolete almost immediately after the war. Around 576 were built.

Variants

The SC-1 was the production version; the SC-2 featured minor improvements but very few were completed before the end of the war ended further production.

Where you'll see it

Served with the US Navy aboard battleships and cruisers during the final year of World War II in the Pacific; replaced by helicopters in the late 1940s.

Related aircraft

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