Curtiss SOC Seagull

History

During a brief airborne period from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, the Curtiss SOC Seagull served the U.S. Navy as a salvage, reconnaissance seaplane.

About 322 examples of this type were completed (258 from the Curtiss factory and the rest from the Naval Aircraft Factory - NAF) and the aircraft were in service during World War II (1939-1945). It was decommissioned as soon as the conflict was over, as its role was taken over by other systems.

The only prototype XO3C-1, known to Curtis as the Type 71, first flew in April 1934, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-12 air-cooled radial engine. The aircraft has an engine in the nose, which drives a two-bladed propeller. A biplane wing arrangement appeared, which was connected by N struts and wires, reminiscent of the fighter jets of the First World War. The two sat one behind the other under the greenhouse-like canopy.

The tail uses a single vertical tail and a mid-level horizontal plane.

Eventually, two versions of the aircraft were developed - one with seaplane equipment for water work, and the other with conventional wheeled landing gear (trailer arrangement). The seaplane transmission consists of a large central float located under the fuselage, while smaller outboard floats are fixed under the lower wing members.

In wheel form, the main leg is mounted as usual below the center mass, complete with aerodynamic leggings, and the rear consists of a tail wheel. A grappling hook can also be installed for carrier-based flight deck recovery.

The

SOC (not assigned the designation "Seagull" until 1941) entered service on November 12, 1935, and these early risers were stationed on the USN light cruiser USS Marblehead. Production continued until 1938, with the aircraft serving reconnaissance and artillery reconnaissance missions.

Curtiss-Wright was formed by the merger of Curtiss Airplane and Motor Company and Wright Aeronautical two traditional American aviation groups founded in 1916 and 1919, respectively. The design of the Seagull is attributed to Alexander Sola.

The US Navy contracted 135 aircraft in 1933, based on the original SOC-1 standard (Type 71A) with flotation equipment (powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340-18 engines). The aircraft has an overall length of 31.4 feet, a wingspan of 36 feet and a height of 14.8 feet. Curb weight is 3,800 lbs and MTOW is 5,500 lbs. Top speed reaches 165 mph, but cruising speed is usually 135 mph or less.

The range is 675 miles and the stated service is capped at 15,000 feet. Climb at 915 feet per minute.

Armament consists of a fixed forward-firing 7.62mm Browning M2-AN machine gun for forward pilots and a flexible 7.62mm Browning M2-AN machine gun for rear observers. Light bombing missions can be accomplished by carrying conventional airdrop loads of up to 650 pounds.

The successor to the SOC-2 (Type 71B) was similar in most respects but had a wheeled chassis for land-based operations. Power comes from a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-22 engine. 40 SOC-2 models have been contracted.

The XSO2C-1 (Type 71C) was a one-off prototype intended as an improvement, but not ordered for mass production.

SOC-3 (Curtiss Type 71E) is based on SOC-2, but differs in its interchangeable landing gear capability (land to sea and back as needed). Curtiss managed the production of 83 of this form, followed by NAF with 64 of their own. In the latter case, the aircraft was designated SON-1.

SOC-4 (Type 71F) are three SOC-3 aircraft in service with the United States Coast Guard. These were later returned to the U.S. Navy, which redesigned the trio to carrier-ready SOC-3 (with safety gear) standards. As a result, they were renamed SOC-3A.

The SO2C is a one-off development model based on the SOC-3, but with a longer fuselage and a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-35 production engine.

The SOC Seagull series was eventually succeeded by the Vought OS2U "Kingfisher" series (detailed elsewhere on this page). The Seagulls were in turn relegated to training roles, but when Seagull's intended replacement Curtiss SO3C "Seamew" (detailed elsewhere on this page) all but failed to function, some reverted to combat standards.

Seagulls remained in the first and second ranks until the war ended in 1945, after which they were quickly retired.

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is another well-known Seagull Line operator.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes