The Curtiss P-1 Hawk was an American combat aircraft in service with the US Army Air Force between 1925 and 1932. It was the first fighter to be designated under the simplified system that had been adopted by the US Army in 1924. It had been developed from the PW-8 aircraft, and the first batch of the aircraft were delivered to the 27th and 94th Pursuit Squadrons, where they were operational for a few years.
The Curtiss P-1 airframe structure was versatile. Its design would be the basis of many subsequent designations and sub-types. Its power plant consisted of one Curtis V-1150, 12-cylinder, water-cooled, piston engine, which was rated at 435 HP. This engine had a two-bladed propeller. The main variants were the P-1B, P-1C, and the P-1D; these had larger wheels. The P-1C had wheel breaks.
Technical Characteristics
The Curtiss P-1 was a single-seat, single-engine biplane, which had an open cockpit. The upper wing was larger and set up forward in relation to the lower wing for better ground visibility for the pilot. Ailerons were fitted in the upper wing, which was joined to the lower one by sturdy pipe struts. Landing gear was fixed.
Specifications
Type: fighter aircraft
Length: 7 m (23 ft)
Wingspan: 9.60 m (31 ft, 6 in)
Wing Area: 23.4 square meters (252 sq. ft)
Height: 2.67 m (8 ft, 9 in)
Engine: one Curtiss V -1150-3 piston-driven
Maximum Speed: 248.5 km/h (154.4 mph)
Range: 480 km (300 miles)
Drawing of the P-1 fighter.
Below, a photo of the Curtiss P-1D of the 43rd School Squadron.
