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Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk

1931 GOLDEN AGE

History

Between the world wars of the 20th century, the aviation industry developed at an astonishing rate. The old canvas and wood biplanes began to evolve, including metal hulls, splashy landing gear and a more streamlined profile than ever before.

This allowed war planners and aeronautical engineers alike to think further, and over time the idea of ??a "parasite fighter" caught on in the ranks of the United States Navy (USN).

The parasite fighter concept involves a compact single-seat fighter attached to a mothership (airship or fixed-wing bomber or similar) from which the fighter can be launched and recovered. This pair of weapon systems benefits the mothership in several ways - extending its range (especially in reconnaissance missions), self-defense or defending contested airspace.

More advanced work on the topic of pesticides, involving jet fighters and bombers, was carried out in the post-World War II period, but the concept was never fully embraced in any form.

Curtis' F9C Sparrowhawk was originally born out of the US Navy's requirements for an airborne fighter jet and competed with Berlin Joyce and GE Aviation's designs. The request protects a secret U.S.

Navy program involving the deployment of a parasite fighter jet from its fleet of airships, namely the USS Akron and USS Macon.

The USN fighter was eventually incorporated into the "XF9C-1" prototype, and a single example of this aircraft was realized. The second prototype, the XF9C-2, was later completed and carried a single-strut main landing gear. Serial production form eventually included a total of six F9C-2 Sparrowhawk fighters and used tricycle landing gear similar to the original prototype.

The XF9C-2 was eventually accepted into the USN's active inventory and converted to a standard production F9C-2 fighter.

The first flight took place on February 12, 1931.

In terms of design, the Curtiss are traditionally arranged biplanes. There is an upper and lower wing main aircraft, connected by extensive N-type cables and struts. Above the center span of the upper wing is a structure containing a salvage hook, or "skyhook," in conjunction with a retractable "trapezoid" structure located under the belly of the airship itself. As usual, the engine is mounted in the forward compartment, driving a twin-blade propeller unit, and the hull is well streamlined.

The empennage uses a single tail and a low-mounted level aircraft, as well as a tail wheel. The landing gear is spit on the main legs for aerodynamic efficiency, and each leg is also wheeled. The pilot's position is behind the upper wing assembly, and he operates in the open air cockpit.

The fighter is powered by a 438 hp Wright R-975-E3 air-cooled radial-piston engine and armed with 2 x .30 caliber Browning air-cooled machine guns, fired by synchronised equipment through rotating propeller blades. The aircraft has an empty weight of 960kg and a gross weight of 1,260kg.

It can reach a top speed of 176 miles per hour.

In practice, Sparrowhawk fighters descend from a hangar on the airship along the retractable trapeze components they have attached. The pilot then turned on the engine and disengaged after assessing the situation.

Sparrowhawks can then be used to scout terrain away from the mothership or engage enemy fighters one-on-one. After the mission is complete, the pilot returns his aircraft to the mothership and reconnects to the airship's seat belt system using the hooks above the upper wing assembly. The trapeze assembly was then withdrawn to the airship, and the Sparrowhawk returned to its hangar.

A single airship can accommodate multiple sparrowhawks.

The fighter family was operated by the two aforementioned American airships between 1932 and 1935, and was used for reconnaissance missions on both sides of the United States. However, the plan was doomed by the loss of the USS Akron off the coast of New Jersey in 1933 and the USS Macon off the coast of California in 1935.

About four Sparrowhawks crashed with Macon when it crashed on February 12, 1935. An example of the Sparrowhawk has survived historically and is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington, D.C. It represents an example that once served with the USS Macon.