UNITED STATES MILITARY AIRCRAFT by Jos Heyman Air Force F = Fighter (1924 - 1962) The F series was introduced on 11 June 1948 and continued the P series. For F = Photoreconnaissance, refer R Last update: 1 January 2016 F-1 Curtiss 34 Hawk Specifications: span: 31'7", 9.63 m length: 22'10", 6.96 m engines: 1 Curtiss V-1150-1 max. speed: 163 mph, 262 km/h (Source: Jack McKillop, via 1000aircraftphotos.com photo #7528) The Curtiss Hawk was a production version of the XPW-8B design. 15 were ordered as P-1 on 7 March 1925. The serials were 25-410/419. In addition P-2s with serials 25-421/423 were converted as P-1. Eventually the P-1s remaining in service were redesignated as ZP-1. The P-1A version had a length of 22'11", 6.99 m and 25 were ordered on 9 September 1925 with serials 26-276/300. In addition three P-2s with serials 25-421/422 and 25-424 were converted to this standard. One of these aircraft, 26-280, was used for tests as XP-1A . The P-1B version had a V-1150-3 engine and 25 were ordered on 17 August 1926 with serials 27-063/087. Two of these were used for development testing as XP-1B . The serials were 27-071 and 27-073. The P-1C had a length of 23'3", 7.09 m and had a V-1150-5 engine. On 3 October 1928 33 were ordered with serials 29-227/259. A single aircraft with serial 29-238 was used for tests as XP-1C . In 1929 35 AT-4s were converted to similar standards as the P-1B and were redesignated as P-1D . The serials were 27-088/097 and 27-213/237. In a similar manner five AT-5s, where converted to P-1B standards but with a length of 22'7", 6.88 m. These were redesignated as P-1E and had serials 27-238/242. Finally a number of AT-5As and a single XP-21 were converted to P-1B standards as P-1F and had serials 28-042/044, 28- 046/051, 28-055/064, 28-066 and 28-070/072 and 28-189. The designations ZP-1B , ZP-1C and ZP-1F are know to have been used as well. Various aircraft were also flown with Wright Field serials: 25-410 as P-400, 26-280 as P-508, 26-288 as P-574, 26-296 as P- 526, 27-068 as P-457, 27-071 as P-523, 27-073 as P-572, 27-080 as P-462, 27-082 as P-460, 27-082 as P-573, 27-087 as P- 461, 29-227 as P-537 and 29-238 as P-579. Refer also to AT-4, AT-5, F-2, F-3, F-5, F-6, F-11, F-17, F-20, F-21, F-22, F-23, PW-8, F7C F-2 Curtiss Specifications: span: 31'7", 9.63 m length: 22'10", 6.96 m engines: 1 Curtiss V-1400 max. speed: 180 mph, 290 km/h (Source: Jack Fisher, via 1000aircraftphotos.com photo #9629) Five aircraft, which were originally ordered on 7 March 1925 as P-1, were completed as P-2 with serials 25-420/424. The first flight was in December 1925 and eventually one aircraft was tested as XP-2 with a two stage super charger. The serial of this aircraft was 25-420 and it was also flown with Wright Field serial P-431. Some of the P-2s were later converted to other standards. Refer also to AT-4, AT-5, F-1, F-3, F-5, F-6, F-11, F-17, F-20, F-21, F-22, F-23, PW-8, F7C F-3 Curtiss Specifications: span: 31'7", 9.63 m length: 22'7", 6.88 m engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney R-1340-3 max. speed: 151 mph, 243 km/h (Source: USAAF?) A single P-1A with serial 26-300 was to be re-engined with a Curtiss R-1454 as XP-3, but when the engine failed the R-1340-3 was installed, giving it a length of 22'6", 6.86 m. It was then redesignated as XP-3A in October 1927. The XP-3A designation was also used for a P-3A with serial 28-189, which tested the NACA engine cowling. This aircraft was also later converted to XP-21 before it was converted to P-1F. The P-3A production aircraft had a length of 22'5", 6.83 m and had either R-1340-3 or R-1340-7 engines. Five were ordered in December 1927 with serials 28-189/193. Aircraft 26-300 was also flown with Wright Field serial P-451 whilst aircraft 28-189 was flown with Wright Field serials P-524 and P-541. Refer also to AT-4, AT-5, F-1, F-2, F-5, F-6, F-11, F-17, F-20, F-21, F-22, F-23, PW-8, F7C F-4 Boeing 58 Specifications: span: 32'1", 9.78 m length: 23'4", 7.11 m engines: 1 Packard 1A-1500 max. speed: 169 mph, 272 km/h (Source: David Gauthier, via 1000aircraftphotos.com photo #8070) The XP-4 was a development of the PW-9 and comprised a re-engined PW-9 with serial 25-324. It was initially tested with Wright Field serial P-446 and was delivered as XP-4 on 27 July 1926 but was abandoned after a few hours of test flying. Refer also to AT-3, F-7, PW-9, FB F-5 Curtiss Specifications: span: 31'7", 9.63 m length: 22'11", 6.99 m engines: 1 Curtiss V-1150-3 max. speed: 159 mph, 256 km/h (Source: Gordon Hubbard, via 1000aircraftphotos.com photo #3378) The XP-5 was a development of the Curtiss Hawk and a single aircraft was ordered on 14 May 1927 with serial 27-327. It was also flown with Wright Field serial P-502. In addition to the XP-5 being redesignated as P-5 upon completion of testing, another four aircraft with serials 27-328/331 were delivered as P-5. Of these aircraft 27-330 was also flown with Wright Field serial P- 542. Refer also to AT-4, AT-5, F-1, F-2, F-3, F-6, F-11, F-17, F-20, F-21, F-22, F-23, PW-8, F7C F-6 Curtiss Specifications: span: 31'6", 9.60 m length: 23'7", 7.19 m engines: 1 Curtiss V-1570-17 max. speed: 180 mph, 290 km/h (Source: Jack McKillop, via 1000aircraftphotos.com photo #1647) In 1927 a single P-2 with serial 25-423 was converted as XP-6 as a racer for the 1927 National Air Races. It had a span of 31'7", 9.63 m, a length of 22'8", 6.91 m, a V-1570-1 engine and a max speed of 182 mph, 293 km/h. The YP-6 designation was assigned to a P-11 with serial 29-367 which was converted with a Curtiss H-1640-1 engine and had a length of 23'9", 7.24 m. According to some reference sources a second aircraft with serial 29-368 was also converted. The P-6 was a production aircraft to which the specifications apply.18 were built with serials 29-260/273 and 29-363/366 whilst it has been suggested that the two P-11s could have been converted to this standard, rather than YP-6. Nine of the P-6s were later converted as P-6A and the other nine as P-6D. The XP-6A designation was assigned to a single P-1A with serial 26-295 which was converted for the 1927 races. It had a span of 30', 9.14 m and a V-1570-1 engine. It crashed in 1928. The designation was also used for P-6A 29-260 and 29-263 in development tests. The designation P-6A was assigned to the conversion of six P-6s with serials 29-260/268 when fitted with a V-1570-23 engine. One of 29-262 was further converted to XP-22. In 1929 one P-1C, with serial 29-259, was fitted with a V-1570-1 engine and special tanks for a long range flight from New York to Alaska. Redesignated as XP-6B it had a span of 31'7", 9.63 and crashed on the way. The Y1P-22s were to be converted to the P-6C standard with a V-1570-23 engine and a length of 23'2", 7.06 m but they were changed to P-6E before delivery. The serials were 32-233/278 although 32-233 and 32-254 might not have carried the P-6C designation as they were first converted to other standards. The P-6E had the Curtiss model designation 35. In April 1931 a single P-6A was fitted with a V-1570-23 engine and was redesignated as XP-6D . It had serial 29-260 and was later reconverted to P-6A standards. In March/April 1932 nine P-6s and all P-6As were converted to a standard similar to the XP-6D and were redesignated as P-6D . The serials included 29-266, 29-268/273, 29-363/368 and others. Aircraft 29-260 was also flown with Wright Field serial P-580.