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Subject: Curtiss Falcon
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_Falcon
The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane aircraft built by the United
States aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the
1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as
observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack
aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.
U.S. Navy variants were used initially as fighter-bombers with the designation
F8C Falcon, then as the first U.S. Marine Corps dive bombers with the name
Helldiver. Two later generations of Curtiss dive-bombers would also be named
Helldiver.
The type was introduced in 1925 and saw first-line service in the United States
until 1934. Curtiss Falcons fought in the Constitutional Revolution of 1932 in
The Falcon XO-1 prototype was evaluated by the USAAC along with eleven other
prototypes in 1924 and the Douglas XO-2 was declared the winner of that
competition. So Curtiss re-engined the prototype with the Packard 1A-1500 for
the 1925 trials, which it won. The engine failed to live up to expectations and
the O-1 ordered by the Army was fitted with the 435 hp (324 kW) Curtiss V-1150
(D-12) engine.
The aircraft was a conventional unequal-span biplane design with wooden wings,
while the fuselage was built using aluminum tubing with steel tie rod bracing.
The landing gear was fixed and the tail included a balanced rudder with a rear
skid originally, later changed to a tailwheel.
The initial A-3 Falcon order was placed in the winter of 1927 and delivery of
the first plane was in October 1927. A total of 76 A-3s were received. Later,
six aircraft were modified as pilot trainers with dual controls and redesignated
A-3A. A second batch of 78 improved A-3Bs, based on the Curtiss O-1E, was
purchased beginning in 1929.
Role
Observation, Attack
Manufacturer
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Introduction
1925
Retired
October 1937
Primary users
United States Army Air Corps
United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
Number built
338 USAAC
150 USN/USMC
Developed from
Curtiss Model 37
Reasonably successful as an observation aircraft, Falcons flew primarily in the
1st, 5th and 99th Observation Squadrons of the 9th Observation Group, Mitchel
Field, New York. The A-3 Attack Falcon saw considerable use, in frontline
service with the 8th, 13th and 19th Attack Squadrons of the 3rd Attack Group,
Barksdale Field, Louisiana, and the 26th Attack Squadron in Hawaii from 1928 to
1934 and with reserve units until 1937.
The U.S. Navy introduced the F8C-1 and F8C-3 Falcon as a shipboard fighter in
1927-1928. They were later redesignated OC-1 and OC-2 for Marine Corps use as an
observation/bomber. The F8C-4 Helldiver variant initially saw service with the
Navy, and the first production batch of 25 was transferred in 1931 to the Marine
Corps. A total of 34 F8Cs redesignated as O2C-1 observation aircraft were also
transferred to the Naval Reserve in 1931, serving with squadrons VN-10RD9,
VN-11RD9, and VN-12RD9. Most of the 63 newer F8C-5/O2C-1 Helldivers also served
with the Marines, remaining in service until 1936. The type was featured in
multiple Hollywood films: Flight (1929) and Hell Divers (1932).
Curtiss Falcon aircraft fought during the Brazil Constitutionalist Revolution of
used Falcon F-8 and O-1 in the Colombia-Peru War in 1932-3.
Specifications Model 37H (A-3B)
General characteristics
Crew: two (pilot, observer/rear gunner)
Length: 27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m)
Height: 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m)
Empty weight: 2,875 lb (1,304 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 4,476 lb (2,030 kg)
kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 139 mph (223.7 km/h)
Cruise speed: 110 mph (177 km/h)
Range: 628 mi (1,010 km)
Service ceiling: 14,100 ft (4,298 m)
Rate of climb: 948 ft/min (289 m/min)
Armament
flexible 0.30 in (7.62 mm) Lewis machine guns on a Scarff ring.
Bombs: 200 lb (91 kg) of bombs mounted on lower wing racks.
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