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Subject: Curtiss F11c Goshawk
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_F11C_Goshawk
The Curtiss F11C Goshawk was a 1930s United States naval biplane fighter
aircraft that saw limited success but was part of a long line of Curtiss Hawk
airplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the American
military.
In April 1932, when Curtiss was planning the Model 35B, the United States Navy
contracted with the manufacturer for an improved derivative of the Model 34C,
F6C as the F11C. It contained major changes that included the 600 hp (450 kW)
Wright R-1510-98 radial engine, single-leg cantilever main landing-gear units, a
slight increase in the interplane gap, metal- rather than fabric-covered control
surfaces, and armament based on two .30 in (7.62 mm) fixed forward-firing
machine guns supplemented by a hardpoint under the fuselage for the carriage of
a 474 lb (215 kg) bomb, or an auxiliary fuel tank. Curtiss designed the type as
the Model 64 Goshawk, with the U.S. Navy designation XF11C-1 (later XBFC-1 after
the adoption of the BF for Bomber-Fighter category). The aircraft was of
fabric-covered metal construction, used the wing cell structure of the
dismantled YP-23, and was delivered in September 1932.[1]
Shortly before ordering the XF11C-1, the Navy had bought a company-owned Model
64A demonstrator. This had a Wright R-1820-78 Cyclone engine, slightly longer
main landing-gear legs carrying wheels with low-pressure tires, a tailwheel in
place of the tailskid, fabric-covered control surfaces on the tail, and external
provision for underwing racks for light bombs as well as an under-fuselage
hardpoint for either a 50 gal (189 l) fuel tank or the crutch that would swing a
bomb clear of the propeller disc before release in a dive-bombing attack.
Role
Carrier-borne Fighter & Fighter-Bomber
Manufacturer
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
First flight
September 1932
Introduction
April 1932
Primary user
United States Navy Colombian Air Force
Produced
October 1932
Number built
28 plus 2 prototypes
Variants
Curtiss BF2C Goshawk
The only U.S. Navy units to operate the F11C-2 were the Navy's famous "High Hat
Squadron", VF-1B, aboard the carrier Saratoga, and VB-6 briefly assigned to
Enterprise. In March 1934, when the aircraft were redesignated BFC-2, the "High
Hat Squadron" was renumbered VB-2B, and then VB-3B, and retained its BFC-2s
until February 1938. VB-6 never actually embarked on Enterprise with the BFC
bombers.[3]
The F11C-2 Goshawk was produced in two export versions as the Hawk I and Hawk II
fighters. Essentially a modified XF11C-2, the Hawk II was fitted with a Wright
R-1820F-3 Cyclone rated at 710 hp (530 kW) at 1,676 m (5,499 ft) and 356 liters
of fuel while the Hawk I had 189 liters of internal fuel. Both versions carried
the same armament as the production F11C-2. Only the Hawk II was exported in
quantity with Turkey, the first customer taking delivery of 19 on August 30,
1932. Colombia placed an order at the end of October 1932, receiving an initial
batch of four twin float-equipped Hawk IIs, the first of a total of 26 float
fighters delivered by the end of July 1934. The Colombian Air Force used Hawk II
and F11C-2 based in floats in the Colombia-Peru War in 1932-1933. Nine Hawk IIs
were supplied to Bolivia, of which three had interchangeable wheel/float
undercarriages; four were delivered to Chile, 52 to China,[4] four to Cuba, two
to Germany, one to Norway and 12 to Thailand as Hawk IIIs.
Specifications (F11C-2) & (BFC-2)
General characteristics
Crew: one
Length: 22 ft 7 in (6.88 m)
Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.6 m)
Height: 9 ft 8.625 in (2.96 m)
Empty weight: 3,037 lb (1,378 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 4,132 lb (1,874 kg)
kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 202 mph (325 km/h)
Cruise speed: 150 mph (241 km/h)
Service ceiling: 25,100 ft (7,650 m)
Rate of climb: 2,300 ft/min (701 m/min)
Armament
2 fixed, synchronized .30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns in the
forward fuselage
1 215 kg (474 lb) bomb on an under-fuselage hardpoint or 2 53 kg (117 lb) bombs
carried one under each lower wing
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