Curtiss F7C-1 Seahawk

The Curtiss F7C Seahawk was a carrier-capable biplane fighter operated mainly by the U.S. Marine Corps in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The prototype XF7C-1 first flew on 28 February 1927; after the Navy requested modifications, including sweepback on the upper wing, 17 production F7C-1s were built. The aircraft had a fabric-covered structure with a spruce-framed upper wing and a fuselage of mixed aluminum and steel tubing, sturdy enough to permit use as a dive bomber as well as a fighter.

Power came from a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial. The F7C-1 entered service with Marine squadron VF-5M (later VF-9M) at Quantico, Virginia. Built in small numbers, the Seahawk saw only limited service but is notable as one of Curtiss's early radial-engine naval fighters and as an aircraft closely associated with early Marine Corps aviation.