Curtiss F14C mystery

[NTGray]

In reading about another Curtiss product, I came across a reference to an XF14C, which in navy parlance would signify an (X)perimental/prototype (F)ighter #(14) by (C)urtiss. I had never heard of it before, but that didn't bother me; what bothered me was that in looking for the earlier planes which I had also never heard of—that is, the F13/12C, F11C, F10C, and so on—I found none of them named in lists of planes produced by Curtiss. Only the F14C and F15C seem to have existed as potential carrier-based fighters. So why did Curtiss simply start with navy fighter #14? Or is there some secret information somewhere about earlier planes?

 

[wuzak]

US Navy/US Marine Corps Fighter Aircraft has:

Curtiss CF
Curtiss F2C
Curtiss F3C
Curtiss F4C
Curtiss F6C
Curtiss F7C
Curtiss F8C Falcon
Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk
Curtiss F10C
Curtiss F11C
Curtiss F12C
Curtiss F13C
Curtiss F14C
Curtiss F15C

The F10C was a derivative of the F8C Falcon

Curtiss Falcon - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Curtiss F11C Goshawk - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

XF12C would become the SBC Helldiver

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_SBC_Helldiver

Curtiss XF13C - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[NTGray]

US Navy/US Marine Corps Fighter Aircraft has:

Curtiss CF
Curtiss F2C
Curtiss F3C
Curtiss F4C
Curtiss F6C
Curtiss F7C
Curtiss F8C Falcon
Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk
Curtiss F10C
Curtiss F11C
Curtiss F12C
Curtiss F13C
Curtiss F14C
Curtiss F15C

OK, I followed the link and I see the list, but there is no accompanying data for each plane. I did find another list, here: Curtiss aircraft but the "F" section begins with #6 and skips a few after that. Does anybody here know why?

 

[Dana Bell]

Everyone here needs a copy of this book - it's what is meant when we say "a standard!"

Amazon product ASIN 0851778380
Cheers.



Dana

 

[GrauGeist]

Curtiss was notorious for building variants, often one-offs, of existing types.
For example, the XF12C was a one-off variant of the SBC helldiver.
However, the XF12C was modified and redesignated XS4C-1.
But..wait, it didn't end there. The XS4C-1 was changed yet again, and was redesignated to the XSBC-1.
Then a another prototype was built based on the XSBC-1, designated the XSBC-2.
They changed engines in the XSBC-2 and it was designated the XSBC-3.

The XSBC-3 was purchased by the USN and produced as the SBC-3.

Then, they put a larger engine in the SBC-3 for testing, it becoming the XSBC-4.

Upon approval, the XSBC-4 was purchased as the SBC-4.

So in order to find all of the Curtiss (and Curtiss-Wright) aircraft projects, you have to look into each type and explore their variants of each type. There were often quite a few.

It's like peeling an onion...

 

[fubar57]

This book, at 637 pages long....

​

....has the following listed

 

[nuuumannn]

XF14C,

This book, at 637 pages long....

Grabbing my copy off the shelf, the XF14C had the company designation Model 94 and was given to two experimental shipboard fighters, serials 03183 and 03184, the first being the XF14C-1 was to be powered by the Lycoming H-2470 engine and the XF14C-2 powered by the Wright XR-3350-16 engine. The type was a lightened equivalent of the XP-62 and was armed with four x 20mm cannon in the wings, two in each wing, which was foldable. With the Lycoming engine being unavailable, only the XF14C-2 was completed, in September 1943 and wasn't delivered until July 1944, by which time the navy had standardised on the F6F and F4U.

 

[elbmc1969]

Curtiss was notorious for building variants, often one-offs, of existing types.
For example, the XF12C was a one-off variant of the SBC helldiver.
However, the XF12C was modified and redesignated XS4C-1.
But..wait, it didn't end there. The XS4C-1 was changed yet again, and was redesignated to the XSBC-1.

Actually, the XF12C was the original model, but it was rejected as a two-seat fighter. It was re-engined as evaluated by the Navy as a scout, the XS4C-1, Curtiss have produced earlier naval scouts.

Then the Navy introduced the new scout-bomber category and the aircraft's designation was changed to XSBC-1 to reflect this, but it was the same airframe that was already under test. Not the same type, the same physical aircraft with a new designation slapped on it.

Just to complexify things some more, the XF12C had a later Curtiss model number (73) than the F13C (Model 70), which came after it.

 

[NTGray]

XF12C would become the SBC Helldiver

Not to be confused with the later SB2C Helldiver, which began to replace the SBD Dauntless in late 1943, and was affectionately (not!) known as the "son-of-a-bitch second class" by pilots who did not care for its handling qualities, or with the earlier F8C. The Curtiss F8C, SBC, and SB2C were all known as "Helldiver."

 

[GrauGeist]

Curtiss "reused" quite a few names:
Shrike
Hawk
Goshawk
Condor

 

[elbmc1969]

Curtiss "reused" quite a few names:
Shrike
Hawk
Goshawk
Condor

Yep. Curtiss was by far the most creativity-impaired aircraft company. (The Blackburn Blackburn not withstanding.)

 

[GrauGeist]

Yep. Curtiss was by far the most creativity-impaired aircraft company. (The Blackburn Blackburn not withstanding.)

To be fair, even Ford Motor Company cycled their "Mustang" badge through various iterations, some of which were far short of the mark.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Was at my kids parent/teacher conference tonight and saw the following in an engineering display. Wow, just wow.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Was at my kids parent/teacher conference tonight and saw the following in an engineering display. Wow! & Why? LOL