Curtiss delivered 258 SOC aircraft, in versions SOC-1 through SOC-4, beginning in 1935. The SOC-3 design was the basis of the Naval Aircraft FactorySON-1 variant, of which the NAF delivered 64 aircraft from 1940.
The SOC was ordered for production by the United States Navy in 1933 and first entered service in 1935. The first order was for 135 SOC-1 models, which was followed by 40 SOC-2 models for landing operations and 83 SOC-3s. A variant of the SOC-3 was built by the Naval Aircraft Factory and was known as the SON-1.[1]
Operational historyedit
The first ship the SOC was assigned to was the light cruiserUSS Marblehead in November 1935; by the end of the decade, the SOC had replaced its predecessor throughout the fleet. Production came to an end in 1938. By 1941, most battleships had transitioned to the Vought OS2U Kingfisher and cruisers were expected to replace their aging SOCs with the third generation SO3C Seamew. The SO3C, however, suffered from a weak engine and plans to adopt it as a replacement were scrapped. The SOC, despite belonging to an earlier generation, went on to execute its missions of gunfire observation and limited range scouting missions.
Through the first six months of naval service, the SOC was known as the XO3C-1,[2] The designation was changed to SOC when it was decided to merge its scouting and observation roles. The SOC was not called the Seagull until 1941, when the U.S. Navy began the wholesale adoption of popular names for aircraft in addition to their alpha-numeric designations. The name 'Seagull' had earlier been given to two civil Curtiss aircraft, a Curtiss Model 18 and a Model 25, both converted Curtiss MF flying boats.[3]
When operating as a seaplane, returning SOCs would land on the relatively smooth ocean surface created on the sheltered side of the vessel as it made a wide turn, after which the aircraft would be winched back onto the deck.[4]
When the SOC was replaced by the OS2U Kingfisher, most remaining airframes were converted into trainers; they remained in use until 1945.[5] With the failure of the Curtiss SO3C Seamew, many SOCs in second line service were returned to frontline units starting in late 1943. They saw service aboard warships in the combat zone for the rest of World War II. This is one of the few instances in aviation history in which an older aircraft type, that was retired or sent to second line service, replaced the new aircraft type that was intended to replace it.[6]
Variantsedit
SOC-3A Seagull touches down on USS Long Island in April 1942, celebrating the carrier's 2,000th landingA SOC-4 of the U.S. Coast Guard.
XO3C-1 (Curtiss Model 71)
Prototype aircraft, powered by 550 hp (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-12 engine. One built, redesignated XSOC-1 on 23 March 1935.[7]
SOC-1 (Curtiss Model 71A)
Initial production version, with 550 hp (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-18 engine enclosed in NACA cowling. Interchangeable float and wheeled undercarriage. 135 built.[8][9]
SOC-2 (Curtiss Model 71B)
Minor changes, with R-1340-22 engine. 40 built. Wheeled undercarriage only.[dubious – discuss][9][10]
XSO2C-1 (Curtiss Model 71C)
Improved version. One prototype only, no production.[10]
SOC-3 (Curtiss Model 71E)
Similar to SOC-2, but with interchangeable undercarriage.[9] 83 built by Curtiss as SOC-3 with further 64 built by the Naval Aircraft Factory as the SON-1.[11]
SOC-3A
All SOC-4s were transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1942 (BuNo 48243, 48244, 48245, respectively), which modified them SOC-3A standard, meaning the fitting of a deck arrester gear.[12]
SOC-4 (Curtiss Model 71F)
The U.S. Coast Guard acquired the final three SOC-3 Seagulls produced by Curtiss in 1938 and these were designated as SOC-4s. They were assigned the USCG call numbers V171, V172, and V173.[12]
SO2C
One built for evaluation based on the SOC-3, but with a 5-foot fuselage stretch and powered by a R-1340-35.
SON-1
SOC-3 aircraft produced by the Naval Aircraft Factory, 64 built.
^ abLarkins, William T. (1967). The Curtiss SOC Seagull (Aircraft in Profile #194) (1st ed.). Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd. pp. 9–11.
^A History of Coast Guard Aviation by Robert Scheina
Donald, David. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Orbis Publishing Limited, 1997. ISBN0-7607-0592-5.
Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Six: Floatplanes. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1962.
Larkins, William T. The Curtiss SOC Seagull (Aircraft in Profile number 194). Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967. OCLC 43484775.
Larkins, William T. Battleship and Cruiser Aircraft of the United States Navy. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Books, Inc., 1996. ISBN0-7643-0088-1. OCLC 35720248.
Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press, 1996. ISBN1-85152-706-0.
Munson, Kenneth. US Warbirds, From World War 1 to Vietnam. New York: New Orchard, 1985. ISBN978-1-85079-029-7.
Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., Second edition, 1976. ISBN0-370-10054-9.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss SOC Seagull.
Official U.S. Navy Historical Center site on the SOC with images. 2014-12-16 at the Wayback Machine
Account of an SOC-2 crewman on the USS San Francisco
December 02, 2023
curtiss, seagull, american, single, engined, scout, observation, seaplane, designed, alexander, solla, curtiss, wright, corporation, united, states, navy, aircraft, served, battleships, cruisers, seaplane, configuration, being, launched, catapult, recovered, f. The Curtiss SOC Seagull was an American single engined scout observation seaplane designed by Alexander Solla of the Curtiss Wright Corporation for the United States Navy The aircraft served on battleships and cruisers in a seaplane configuration being launched by catapult and recovered from a sea landing The wings folded back against the fuselage for storage aboard ship When based ashore or on carriers the single float was replaced by fixed wheeled landing gear SOC SeagullSeagull seaplane configuration in flightRole ScoutNational origin United StatesManufacturer Curtiss WrightDesigner Alexander SollaFirst flight April 1934Introduction 12 November 1935Retired 1945Primary users United States NavyUnited States Coast Guard United States Marine CorpsProduced 1935 1940Number built 322 258 by Curtiss 64 by the NAF Curtiss delivered 258 SOC aircraft in versions SOC 1 through SOC 4 beginning in 1935 The SOC 3 design was the basis of the Naval Aircraft Factory SON 1 variant of which the NAF delivered 64 aircraft from 1940 Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Specifications SOC 1 floatplane 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksDesign and development editThe SOC was ordered for production by the United States Navy in 1933 and first entered service in 1935 The first order was for 135 SOC 1 models which was followed by 40 SOC 2 models for landing operations and 83 SOC 3s A variant of the SOC 3 was built by the Naval Aircraft Factory and was known as the SON 1 1 Operational history editThe first ship the SOC was assigned to was the light cruiser USS Marblehead in November 1935 by the end of the decade the SOC had replaced its predecessor throughout the fleet Production came to an end in 1938 By 1941 most battleships had transitioned to the Vought OS2U Kingfisher and cruisers were expected to replace their aging SOCs with the third generation SO3C Seamew The SO3C however suffered from a weak engine and plans to adopt it as a replacement were scrapped The SOC despite belonging to an earlier generation went on to execute its missions of gunfire observation and limited range scouting missions Through the first six months of naval service the SOC was known as the XO3C 1 2 The designation was changed to SOC when it was decided to merge its scouting and observation roles The SOC was not called the Seagull until 1941 when the U S Navy began the wholesale adoption of popular names for aircraft in addition to their alpha numeric designations The name Seagull had earlier been given to two civil Curtiss aircraft a Curtiss Model 18 and a Model 25 both converted Curtiss MF flying boats 3 When operating as a seaplane returning SOCs would land on the relatively smooth ocean surface created on the sheltered side of the vessel as it made a wide turn after which the aircraft would be winched back onto the deck 4 When the SOC was replaced by the OS2U Kingfisher most remaining airframes were converted into trainers they remained in use until 1945 5 With the failure of the Curtiss SO3C Seamew many SOCs in second line service were returned to frontline units starting in late 1943 They saw service aboard warships in the combat zone for the rest of World War II This is one of the few instances in aviation history in which an older aircraft type that was retired or sent to second line service replaced the new aircraft type that was intended to replace it 6 Variants edit nbsp SOC 3A Seagull touches down on USS Long Island in April 1942 celebrating the carrier s 2 000th landing nbsp A SOC 4 of the U S Coast Guard XO3C 1 Curtiss Model 71 Prototype aircraft powered by 550 hp 410 kW Pratt amp Whitney R 1340 12 engine One built redesignated XSOC 1 on 23 March 1935 7 SOC 1 Curtiss Model 71A Initial production version with 550 hp 410 kW Pratt amp Whitney R 1340 18 engine enclosed in NACA cowling Interchangeable float and wheeled undercarriage 135 built 8 9 SOC 2 Curtiss Model 71B Minor changes with R 1340 22 engine 40 built Wheeled undercarriage only dubious discuss 9 10 XSO2C 1 Curtiss Model 71C Improved version One prototype only no production 10 SOC 3 Curtiss Model 71E Similar to SOC 2 but with interchangeable undercarriage 9 83 built by Curtiss as SOC 3 with further 64 built by the Naval Aircraft Factory as the SON 1 11 SOC 3A All SOC 4s were transferred to the U S Navy in 1942 BuNo 48243 48244 48245 respectively which modified them SOC 3A standard meaning the fitting of a deck arrester gear 12 SOC 4 Curtiss Model 71F The U S Coast Guard acquired the final three SOC 3 Seagulls produced by Curtiss in 1938 and these were designated as SOC 4s They were assigned the USCG call numbers V171 V172 and V173 12 SO2C One built for evaluation based on the SOC 3 but with a 5 foot fuselage stretch and powered by a R 1340 35 SON 1 SOC 3 aircraft produced by the Naval Aircraft Factory 64 built Operators edit nbsp United StatesUnited States Navy United States Marine Corps 13 United States Coast Guard 14 Specifications SOC 1 floatplane edit nbsp Drawings for the SOC SON SeagullData from War Planes of the Second World War Volume Six Floatplanes 15 General characteristicsCrew two pilot and observer Length 31 ft 5 in 9 58 m Wingspan 36 ft 0 in 10 97 m Height 14 ft 9 in 4 50 m Wing area 342 sq ft 31 8 m2 Airfoil upper NACA 0010 lower NACA 2212 16 Empty weight 3 788 lb 1 718 kg Gross weight 5 437 lb 2 466 kg Powerplant 1 Pratt amp Whitney R 1340 18 single row nine cylinder air cooled radial engine 600 hp 450 kW Performance Maximum speed 143 kn 165 mph 266 km h at 5 000 ft 1 500 m Cruise speed 116 kn 133 mph 214 km h Stall speed 48 6 kn 55 9 mph 90 0 km h 13 Range 587 nmi 675 mi 1 086 km at 5 000 ft 1 500 m Service ceiling 14 900 ft 4 500 m Rate of climb 915 ft min 4 65 m s 12 Armament Guns 1 fixed forward firing 0 30 in 7 62 mm Browning M2 AN and 1 flexible mounted rear firing 0 30 in 7 62 mm Browning M2 AN machine gun Bombs 2 100 lb 45 kg bombs or 325 lb 147 kg depth charges underwingSee also editRelated development Curtiss SO3C SeamewAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Douglas O2D Fairey Seafox Grumman J2F Duck Heinkel He 114 Mitsubishi F1M Potez 452 Vought O5URelated lists List of aircraft of World War IIReferences editNotes US Navy History website Archived from the original on 2014 12 16 Retrieved 2006 07 07 Bowers 1979 pp 339 340 Bowers 1979 pp 178 183 627 World War II Database SOC Seagull Archived 2016 06 29 at the Wayback Machine Munson 1985 p 79 Donald 1997 p Bowers 1979 pp 341 345 Bowers 1979 p 342 a b c Swanborough and Bowers 1976 pp 143 144 a b Bowers 1979 p 343 USN Aircraft Curtiss SOC Scout Observation Planes Archived from the original on 2001 06 21 a b c Bowers 1979 p 345 a b Larkins William T 1967 The Curtiss SOC Seagull Aircraft in Profile 194 1st ed Leatherhead Surrey UK Profile Publications Ltd pp 9 11 A History of Coast Guard Aviation by Robert Scheina Green 1962 p 160 Lednicer David The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage m selig ae illinois edu Retrieved 16 April 2019 BibliographyBowers Peter M Curtiss Aircraft 1907 1947 London Putnam amp Company Ltd 1979 ISBN 0 370 10029 8 Donald David The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Orbis Publishing Limited 1997 ISBN 0 7607 0592 5 Green William War Planes of the Second World War Volume Six Floatplanes London Macdonald amp Co Publishers Ltd 1962 Larkins William T The Curtiss SOC Seagull Aircraft in Profile number 194 Leatherhead Surrey UK Profile Publications Ltd 1967 OCLC 43484775 Larkins William T Battleship and Cruiser Aircraft of the United States Navy Atglen PA Schiffer Books Inc 1996 ISBN 0 7643 0088 1 OCLC 35720248 Mondey David The Hamlyn Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II London Chancellor Press 1996 ISBN 1 85152 706 0 Munson Kenneth US Warbirds From World War 1 to Vietnam New York New Orchard 1985 ISBN 978 1 85079 029 7 Swanborough Gordon and Peter M Bowers United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 London Putnam amp Company Ltd Second edition 1976 ISBN 0 370 10054 9 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss SOC Seagull Site on the SOC by Commander Ralph Kaiser Wilhelm USN Ret Official U S Navy Historical Center site on the SOC with images Archived 2014 12 16 at the Wayback Machine Site on the SOC using material by William Larkins Cruiser Scout by Paul A McKinley Account of an SOC 2 crewman on the USS San Francisco Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Curtiss SOC Seagull amp oldid 1174776628, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
