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P-6 Hawk
| P-6 Hawk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Curtiss P-6 Hawk | |
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company |
| Introduced | 1927 |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Corps |
| Produced | 1929 |
| Unit cost | $13,000 USD |
The Curtiss P-6 Hawk was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps.
Contents
Design and development
The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, which became the Curtis-Wright Corporation July 15, 1929, supplied the USAAC with P-6s starting in that year.
Operational history
A fast and highly maneuverable aircraft for its time, the XP-6 prototype took 2nd place in the 1927 U.S. National Air Races, and the XP-6A with wing surface radiators took 1st at 201 mph (323 km/h). The P-6 was flown in a variety of paint schemes depending on the squadron, The most famous being the "Snow Owl" markings of the 94th Pursuit Squadron based at Selfridge Field near Detroit, Michigan.
Variants
- XP-6, Model 34P - modified from a P-1 with a Curtiss V-1570-17 "Conqueror"
- XP-6A, Model 34K - same as XP-6 but with untapered wings and wing radiators to reduce drag
- P-6A - 18 ordered by the US Army, 9 were fitted with Prestone- rather than water-cooled V-1670 engines
- XP-6B - a P-1 converted to take the V-1670 engine
- P-6C - cancelled
- XP-6D - the XP-6B converted to take a the Curtiss V-1570-C turbocharged Conqueror engine
- P-6D - all of the P-6 aircraft up to this point, except one P-6A had the Curtiss V-1570-C turbocharged Conqueror engine installed in 1932 and redesignated P-6D
- XP-6E, Y1P-22, Model 35 - ordered in July 1931 this was the prototype for the P-6E
- P-6E - 46 delivered in 1931-1932, equipped the 17th and 33rd Pursuit Squadrons
- XP-6F - modified XP-6E with a supercharged engine and an enclosed cockpit
- XP-6G - P-6E with a V-1570F engine installed
- XP-6H - P-6E with 4 .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns mounted in the wings
- P6-S, Hawk I - 3 sold to Cuba with the 450 HP (336 kW) Wasp radial engine & one to Japan with the Conqueror engine
- P-11 - three ordered with the Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain engine of 600 HP (447 kW), two were completed with the Conqueror and redesignated P-6D
- XP-17 - the first P-1 was used as a testbed for the experimental Wright V-1470 air-cooled inverted Vee engine
- YP-20 - P-11 converted with a Wright Cyclone radial engine
- XP-21 - two conversions from the XP-3A used to test the Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine of 300 HP (224 kW), one became the XP-21A when modified with the Pratt & Whitney R-975 Wasp Junior, and the other was converted to the P-1F standard
- XP-22 - temporary designanation for a P-6A used to test new radiator installations for the Curtiss V-1570-23 and converted back to a P-6A
- XP-23, Model 63 - an unfinished P-6E with light alloy monocoque fuselage, improved tail, and a turbocharged G1V-1570C Conqueror engine and geared propellor, redesignated YP-23 after the turbocharger was removed
Operators
- Republic of China Air Force operated 50Hawk II
- Japan - one P-6S, possibly updated with a Conqueror engine
- Dutch East Indies - eight P-6Ds with the Conqurer engines in 1930; another eight built in the Netherlands
- Cuba - three P-6S with 450 HP (336 kW) Wasp radial
- United States
Survivors
A single P-6E survives. It is owned by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and is on loan and display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio.
Specifications (P-6E)
Data from "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft" Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1, 1152 pp.
General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 25 ft 2 in (7.67 m)
- Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.6 m)
- Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
- Wing area: 252 ft² (23.41 m²)
- Empty weight: 2,669 lb (1,224 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 3,436 lb (1,559 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Curtiss V-1570C Conqueror liquid-cooled V12 engine, 700 hp (522 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 177 knots (204 mph, 328.3 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 145 knots (167 mph, 268.7 km/h)
- Range: 248 nm (285 mi, 459 km)
- Service ceiling: 24,700 ft (7,529 m)
- Rate of climb: 2.480 ft/min (756 m/s)
Armament
- 2 × .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns
References
- The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft cover Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, (Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152 pp.
External links
See also
Related lists
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
| This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "P-6 Hawk". |
