Curtiss SO3C Seamew
Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1939 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Curtiss SO3C Seamew was developed as a replacement for the SOC Seagull as the United States Navy standard floatplane scout.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.23 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Observation floatplane able to use a single centre float or a wheeled undercarriage
- Upturned wingtips and an enlarged rear tail surface added to improve stability
- Inverted V inline Ranger engine
The Navy renamed it Seagull in 1941, the same name as the older biplane it replaced, which caused confusion.
Specifications
- The Curtiss SO3C Seamew has a length of 11.23 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.58 m (38 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 277 km/h (172 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Navy required it to operate from ships with a single centre float and from land bases with a wheeled undercarriage. It first flew on 6 October 1939 and used the 600 hp Ranger air-cooled inverted V inline engine.
Variants
The SO3C-1 was a fixed-undercarriage version ordered by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm under Lend-Lease, which called it the Seamew. Later Royal Navy aircraft, known as the Seamew Mk.I, were the SO3-2C variant.
Where you'll see it
795 were built. Inflight stability problems and an unreliable engine led to its withdrawal from US Navy first-line units by 1944. About 100 Seamews were delivered to the Royal Navy, which declared them obsolete in September 1944.
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