History

The Curtiss F6C Hawk series aircraft are actually US Navy/Marine Corps models of the US Army P-1 Hawk series. The U.S. Navy found the P-1 adequate for use as a carrier-based aircraft, while the U.S. Marine Corps used it as a land-based fighter.

Derived from the L-18-1 model (derived from the US Army's PW-8 production fighter), the P-1 is a single-engine, single-seat, fixed-gear biplane. During the interwar period, the system became one of the many symbols of aircraft development during the period.

Conical wings, wheel brakes and increasingly powerful engines produced several variants for the Curtiss that would make the Eagle a front-line fighter for all major armed forces at the time.

Modestly armed with a range of .303 caliber machine guns, this aircraft was truly a throwback to earlier air combat. However, the metal body panels heralded what was to come in the 1930s.

With a flight ceiling in excess of 20,000 feet and speeds in excess of 150 miles per hour, the P-1 and F6C Hawk series were a step in the right direction for U.S. military aviation design.

Specification

Basic

Year:
1924
Staff:
1

Production

[75 units]:
Curtis - USA

Roles

- Fighter

- Naval/Navigation

Dimensions

Length:

6.96m

Width:

9.63m

Weight

Curb Weight:

980 kg

MTOW:

1,519 kg

(difference: +1,188 pt)

Performance

1 x Curtiss D. 12 "Conqueror" 400 hp water-cooled inline engine.

Performance

Maximum Speed:

154 mph (248 km/h; 134 knots)

Service Limit:

20,299 ft (6,187 m; 3.84 mi)

Maximum range:

351 miles (565 km; 305 nmi)

Armor

Default:

2 times. 30 caliber machine gun

Changes

Model L-18-1

PW-8 - Production variant of the L-18-1 model, 25 of which were built for the US Army.

XPW-8B - Experimental variant with Curtiss D-12 440 hp engine.

P-1 - Production version of XPW-8B

P-1A - 25 production

P-1B - 25 production; equipped with Curtiss V-1150-3 435 hp engine.

P-1C - 33 production; equipped with Curtiss V-1150-5 engine; implemented wheel brakes; ski chassis.

AT-4 - Advanced trainer variant based on the P-1A; equipped with a Wright-Hispano E 180 hp engine.

P-1D - Equipped with V-1150 engines based on the AT-4 trainer model.

AT-5 - An improved trainer based on the P-1D model with a 220 hp Wright Whirlwind J-5 radial engine.

P-1E - Modified AT-5 variant with V-1150 engine.

AT-5A - Longer fuselage trainer; later P-1F.

P-1F - Modified AT-5A trainer model with V-1150 engine.

F6C - US Navy's carrier-based fighter.

F6C-1 - U.S. Marine Corps land-based F6C model based on the U.S. Army P-1 fighter jet.

F6C-2 - Carrier-based variant with grappling hooks and other special landing gear.

F6C-3 - Improved F6C-2 fighter

F6C-4 - Equipped with Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp Radial rated at 420 hp.

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