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P-6 Hawk
Curtiss P-6 Hawk
Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Introduced	1927
Primary user	United States Army Air Corps
Produced	1929
Unit cost	$13,000 USD

The Curtiss P-6 Hawk was an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps.

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Survivors 6 Specifications (P-6E) 7 References 8 External links 9 Related content

The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, which became the Curtis-Wright Corporation July 15, 1929, supplied the USAAC with P-6's starting in that year.

A fast and highly maneuverable aircraft for its time, the XP-6 prototype took 2^nd place in the 1927 U.S. National Air Races, and the XP-6A with wing surface radiators took 1^st at 201 mph (323 km/h). The P-6 was flown in a variety of paint schemes depending on the squadron. The most famous being the "Snow Owl" markings of the 94th Pursuit Squadron based at Selfridge Field near Detroit, Michigan.

• XP-6, Model 34P - modified from a P-1 with a Curtiss V-1570-17 "Conqueror"
• XP-6A, Model 34K - same as XP-6 but with untapered wings and wing radiators to reduce drag
• P-6A - 18 ordered by the US Army, 9 were fitted with Prestone- rather than water-cooled V-1670 engines
• XP-6B - a P-1 converted to take the V-1670 engine
• P-6C - cancelled
• XP-6D - the XP-6B converted to take a the Curtiss V-1570-C turbocharged Conqueror engine
• P-6D - all of the P-6 aircraft up to this point, except one P-6A had the Curtiss V-1570-C turbocharged Conqueror engine installed in 1932 and redesignated P-6D
• XP-6E, Y1P-22, Model 35 - ordered in July 1931 this was the prototype for the P-6E
• P-6E - 46 delivered in 1931-1932, equipped the 17^th and 33^rd Pursuit Squadrons
• XP-6F - modified XP-6E with a supercharged engine and an enclosed cockpit
• XP-6G - P-6E with a V-1570F engine installed
• XP-6H - P-6E with 4 .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns mounted in the wings
• P6-S, Hawk I - 3 sold to Cuba with the 450 HP (336 kW) Wasp radial engine & one to Japan with the Conqueror engine
• P-11 - three ordered with the Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain engine of 600 HP (447 kW), two were completed with the Conqueror and redesignated P-6D
• XP-17 - the first P-1 was used as a testbed for the experimental Wright V-1470 air-cooled inverted Vee engine
• YP-20 - P-11 converted with a Wright Cyclone radial engine, and later the Conqueror
• XP-21 - two conversions from the XP-3A used to test the Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine of 300 HP (224 kW), one became the XP-21A when modified with the Pratt & Whitney R-975 Wasp Junior, and the other was converted to the P-1F standard
• XP-22 - temporary designanation for a P-6A used to test new radiator installations for the Curtiss V-1570-23 and converted back to a P-6A
• XP-23, Model 63 - an unfinished P-6E that had a light alloy monocoque fuselage, improved tail, and a turbocharged and geared G1V-1570C Conqueror engine, redesignated the YP-23 after the turbocharger was removed

•  Japan - one P-6S, possibly updated with a Conqueror engine
•  Dutch East Indies - eight examples of a P-6D with the Conqurer engine in 1930, another eight were built in the Netherlands
•  Cuba - three P-6S fighters with the 450 HP (336 kW) Wasp radial
•  United States

A single P-6E survives. It is owned by the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and is on loan and display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio.

Data from "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft" Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1, 1152 pp.

General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Length: 25 ft 2 in (7.67 m)
• Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.6 m)
• Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
• Wing area: 252 ft² (23.41 m²)
• Empty weight: 2,669 lb (1,224 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,436 lb (1,559 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Curtiss V-1570C "Conqueror" liquid-cooled V12 engine, 700 hp (522 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 177 knots (204 mph, 328.3 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 145 knots (167 mph, 268.7 km/h)
• Range: 248 nm (285 mi, 459 km)
• Service ceiling: 24,700 ft (7,529 m)
• Rate of climb: 2.480 ft/min (756 m/s)

Armament

• 2 × .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns

• The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft cover Editors: Paul Eden & Soph Moeng, (Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152 pp.

• Air Force Link
• Aviation Enthusiast Corner
• March Fielf Air Museum

Designation sequence

• 1924-1948 USAAC/F:
  • Pursuit:
    • P-3 - XP-4 - P-5 - P-6 - XP-7 - XP-8 - XP-9 - XP-10 - P-11 - P-12 - XP-13 - XP-14 - XP-15 - P-16 - XP-17 - XP-18 - XP-19 - XP-20 - XP-21 - XP-22- XP-23 - XP-24 - XP-25 - P-26

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of fighter aircraft

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