The Curtiss F6C Hawk was a late 1920s American naval biplane fighter aircraft.
It was part of the long line of Curtiss Hawk airplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the American military.
Originally designed for land-based use, the Model 34C was virtually identical to the P-1 Hawk in United States Army Air Corps service.
The United States Navy ordered nine, but starting with the sixth example, they were strengthened for carrier-borne operations and redesignated Model 34D.
Flown from the carriers Langley and Lexington from 1927–30, most of the later variants passed to Marine fighter-bomber units, while a few were flown for a time as twin-float floatplanes.
Variants
F6C-1 Model 34C
Virtually identical to the P-1 series.
F6C-2 Model 34D
Strengthened for carrier borne operations and fitted with arrester hooks.
F6C-3 Model 34E
Modified version of the F6C-2.
XF6C-4 Model 34H
Prototype F6C-1 with a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine.
F6C-4 Model 34H
Production version of the XF6C-4.
XF6C-5 Model 34H
Prototype F6C-1 with a Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet radial of 525 hp (391 kW).
F6C-6 Model 34E
Modified for racing, with its radiator located inside the fuselage.
XF6C-6 Model 34E
The F6C-6 which had won the 1930 Curtiss Marine Trophy was converted to parasol-wing monoplane configuration and given wing surface radiators; after achieving the fastest lap in the 1930 Thompson Trophy race the XF6C-6 crashed when its pilot was overcome by fumes.
XF6C-7 Model 34H
Testbed for an experimental 350 hp (260 kW) Ranger SGV-770C-1 air-cooled inverted V engine.
