The Hawks

Curtiss P-6E Hawk at the National Museum of the United States Air Force
(Read Me)

I like the idea of an aircraft manufacturer using a set of similar names to denote the various aircraft they supply to their customers. The Grumman Cats spring to mind almost immediately. Whilst wandering hither and yon throughout the vast reaches of the Web of World-Wideness (which is what "www" stands for, right?), I happened upon something I had never seen before. That is, this bird:

(Source)

That my friends, is a Curtiss YP-37, of which only 13 were ever made (there was one other airframe like it but with a different engine, that was the XP-37). That bird was in the second half of a video in this post, which frankly I ignored but shouldn't have. Fortunately an alert reader brought it to my attention. (Old Sarge must have been nodding off at the helm that day...)

Now that post was about some of the products of Bell Aircraft (later Bell Helicopter Textron) and really featured the Bell Airacuda, which was the main topic of the last video in that post. Seeing that bird in the photo above, which was a development of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk, led me to notice that a lot of Curtiss aircraft had the word "Hawk" included in the name. Though a bunch of their early aircraft were all called "Hawk." Just "Hawk." Later birds had variations on that theme.

Just for completeness sake, there was also the XP-42, which kind of looked like the YP-37 (though the cockpit isn't as far aft), but was actually an offshoot of the P-36. While it seems to have an inline engine, it actually had a radial engine. No, the design didn't pan out, which is probably why you've never heard of it.

Curtiss XP-42
(Source)

Where am I going with this? Oh yes, the whole "Hawk" thing...

One of the Sarge's favorite warbirds is the P-40 Warhawk/Tomahawk/Kittyhawk. We called all of the versions of the aircraft Warhawk, the Brits called two models the Tomahawk (the P-40B and P-40C versions), and all of the versions P-40D and later they called the Kittyhawk. Warhawk I get, a hawk which goes to war, the British names, while cool, aren't really named after the bird. Hawk that is.

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk of the National Museum of the USAF

No doubt our British cousins would have called the bird in the picture a "Kittyhawk."

Anyhoo, the whole hawk name thing...

The opening photo is a Curtiss P-6E Hawk, here are some of the other early all named Hawk fighters (well, almost all...) produced by Curtiss -

Curtiss P-1B Hawk

Curtiss P-2 Hawk
(Now with turbo-supercharger¹!)

Curtiss P-3 Hawk (no engine cowling)

Curtiss P-5 Superhawk
(Okay, it's not just "Hawk." My bad.)

They all have a certain resemblance don't they?

The P-40 saw extensive service in WWII, as did another Curtiss aircraft, the P-36 Hawk.

Curtiss P-36C Hawk
(Source)

Seems like everyone except the United States used that bird in WWII:

The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of both the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation of combat aircraft—a sleek monoplane design making extensive use of metal in its construction and powered by a powerful radial engine.

the predecessor of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the P-36 saw little combat with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was nevertheless the fighter used most extensively and successfully by the French Armee de l'air during the Battle of France. The P-36 was also ordered by the governments of the Netherlands and Norway, but did not arrive in time to see action before both were occupied by Nazi Germany. The type was also manufactured under license in China, for the Republic of China Air Force, as well as in British India, for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF).

Axis and co-belligerent air forces also made significant use of captured P-36s. Following the fall of France and Norway in 1940, several dozen P-36s were seized by Germany and transferred to Finland; these aircraft saw extensive action with the Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force) against the Soviet Air Forces. The P-36 was also used by Vichy French air forces in several minor conflicts; in one of these, the Franco-Thai War of 1940–41, P-36s were used by both sides.

From mid-1940, some P-36s en route for France and the Netherlands were diverted to Allied air forces in other parts of the world. The Hawks ordered by the Netherlands were diverted to the Dutch East Indies and later saw action against Japanese forces. French orders were taken up by British Commonwealth air forces, and saw combat with both the South African Air Force (SAAF) against Italian forces in East Africa, and with the RAF over Burma. Within the Commonwealth, the type was usually referred to as the Curtiss Mohawk. (Source)

Of course the Commonwealth called it the Mohawk. Stayed with the "hawk" theme, but again, not a bird.

Curtiss also built aircraft for the Navy, all with a hawk-based name, except for two aircraft, both named "Helldiver."

Curtiss F7c-1 Seahawk
Designed as a carrier fighter, never saw service on a carrier. Assigned to the Marines.
(Source)

Curtiss F9C-2 Sparrowhawk

So what's with the hook on the Sparrowhawk? Glad you asked...

Landing a Sparrowhawk on its "carrier."

Note the name on the aircraft in the photo above, USS Macon. The USS Macon was a dirigible which was designed to carry four Sparrowhawks internally and one "on the hook," seen above (but in reality could only carry two internally). That hook could be retracted into the dirigible so the pilot could get in and out. The idea was that the aircraft would extend the reconnaissance range of those big airships. But the Sparrowhawk's limited downward visibility made it "not so good" at that job. The aircraft in the photo preceding the latter photo was destroyed in the same accident which destroyed the USS Macon. (Which also destroyed the future of the airship in the Navy.)

Curtiss F11C Goshawk
Yet another 1930s era Navy biplane.

The Goshawk actually saw action in WWII, but not with the United States -

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.

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 at 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, four to Cuba, two to Germany, one to Norway and 12 to Thailand as Hawk IIIs. The Chinese Nationalist Air Force received 52 F11Cs as Hawk IIs and fought against the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was the main battlefield of the F11C in World War 2.

Thai Hawk IIIs saw action during World War II, including against the Royal Air Force. On 8 April 1944, a Thai Hawk III was shot down by a No. 211 Squadron RAF Bristol Beaufighter over Lamphun, the pilot of the downed aircraft escaping by parachute. (Source)

Now what about those Helldivers I mentioned before. This is the less well known Helldiver, the SBC-3 -

The VS-3 CO's SBC-3, assigned to USS Saratoga (CV 3), circa 1939.

This aircraft was the last biplane bought by the Navy for its carrier squadrons. It was obsolete when first introduced into service in 1938. It remained in service until 1943. While they were around, the Navy kept them out of combat. They were eventually replaced by the Douglas SBD Dauntless. The remaining aircraft were used for training. Both the Navy and the Marine Corps used the aircraft.

The more famous Helldiver, the Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class, er, I mean the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver -

Of course Udvar-Hazy has one.

A Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in tricolor scheme and tail markings for Bombing Squadron 80 (VB-80), which operated off the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CV-19), in February 1945. This aircraft is the SB2C-5, BuNo 83589. It is flying with the Commemorative Air Force, based in Graham, TX.

That last photo depicts only the only flying Helldiver in the world. She suffered some damage during landing a while back, but the CAF spent $200,000 getting her back in the air. Money well spent.

And of course every aircraft company has to have at least one weird or odd looking design in its portfolio -

Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk

Intended as a replacement for the P-61 Black Widow (which was rather odd looking in some ways itself) -

The Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk (previously designated the XP-87) was a prototype American all-weather jet fighter interceptor and the company's last aircraft project. Designed as a replacement for the World War II–era propeller-driven P-61 Black Widow night/interceptor aircraft, the XF-87 lost in government procurement competition to the Northrop F-89 Scorpion. The loss of the contract was fatal to the company; the Curtiss-Wright Corporation closed down its aviation division, selling its assets to North American Aviation. (Source)

The Scorpion was an ugly aircraft, if there is such a thing. I guess you could say that the scorpion's sting killed Curtiss-Wright.

USAF Northrop F-89D-45-NO Scorpion interceptors of the 59th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Goose Bay AB, Labrador (Canada), in the 1950s. 52-1959 in foreground, now in storage at Edwards AFB, California

An odd looking bird that, certainly no Hawk, that's for sure.


Sources:

• Curtiss P-1 Hawk Link
• Curtiss P-6 Hawk Link
• Curtiss F7C Seahawk Link
• Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk Link
• Curtiss F11C Goshawk Link
• Curtiss P-36 Hawk Link
• Curtiss P-37 Link
• Curtiss XP-42 Link
• Curtiss P-40 Warhawk Link
• Curtiss SBC Helldiver Link
• Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Link
• Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk Link
• Curtiss-Wright Link
• Allison V-1710 Link
• The P-37 (Joe Baugher) Link

¹ For years I paid no attention to what a supercharger was, but upon reading this: 

A supercharger is an air compressor that increases the pressure or density of air supplied to an internal combustion engine. This gives each intake cycle of the engine more oxygen, letting it burn more fuel and do more work, thus increasing power. Power for the supercharger can be provided mechanically by means of a belt, gear, shaft, or chain connected to the engine's crankshaft. Common usage restricts the term supercharger to mechanically driven units; when power is instead provided by a turbine powered by exhaust gas, a supercharger is known as a turbocharger or just a turbo - or in the past a turbo-supercharger. (Source)

it all became clear as a bell. Boosted engine performance at altitude!