The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
aircraft built by the American aircraft manufacturer
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (1909–1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer originally founded by Glenn Curtiss, Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York. After significant commercial success in ...
during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
variants were used initially as fighter-bombers with the designation F8C Falcon, then as the first
U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
s with the name Helldiver. Two later generations of Curtiss dive-bombers were also named
Helldiver.
The type was introduced in 1925 and saw first-line service in the United States until 1934. Curtiss Falcons fought in the
Constitutionalist Revolution
The Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 (sometimes also referred to as Paulista War or Brazilian Civil War) is the name given to the uprising of the population of the Brazilian state of São Paulo against the Brazilian Revolution of 1930 wh ...
of 1932 in
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, used by the forces of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
.
Design and development
The Falcon XO-1
prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototype ...
was evaluated by the USAAC along with eleven other prototypes in 1924 and the
Douglas XO-2 was declared the winner of that competition. So Curtiss re-engined the prototype with the
Packard 1A-1500
The Packard 1A-1500 was an American 12-cylinder liquid-cooled 60-degree Vee piston aircraft engine designed in 1924.Gunston 1989, p.109. Test flown in the second prototype Douglas XO-2, it proved to be unreliable. Only 29 engines ...
for the 1925 trials, which it won. The engine failed to live up to expectations and the O-1 ordered by the Army was fitted with the 435 hp (324 kW)
Curtiss V-1150 (D-12) engine.
The aircraft was a conventional unequal-span biplane design with wooden wings, while the
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...
was built using
aluminum
Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...
tubing with steel tie rod bracing.
The
landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
was fixed and the
tail
The tail is the elongated section at the rear end of a bilaterian animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage extending backwards from the midline of the torso. In vertebrate animals that evolution, evolved to los ...
included a
balanced rudder
Balanced rudders are used by both ships and aircraft. Both may indicate a portion of the rudder surface ahead of the hinge, placed to lower the control loads needed to turn the rudder. For aircraft the method can also be applied to elevator (air ...
with a rear skid originally, later changed to a tailwheel.
The initial A-3 Falcon order was placed in the winter of 1927 and delivery of the first plane was in October 1927. A total of 76 A-3s were received. Later, six aircraft were modified as pilot trainers with dual controls and redesignated A-3A. A second batch of 78 improved A-3Bs, based on the Curtiss O-1E, was purchased beginning in 1929.
Operational history

Reasonably successful as an observation aircraft, Falcons flew primarily in the
1st
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
, 5th and 99th Observation Squadrons of the
9th Observation Group,
Mitchel Field Mitchell may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters
*Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Ca ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
. The A-3 Attack Falcon saw considerable use, in first-line service with the 8th, 13th and 19th Attack Squadrons of the 3rd Attack Group,
Barksdale Field,
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, and the 26th Attack Squadron in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
from 1928 to 1934 and second-line service with reserve units until 1937.
The U.S. Navy introduced the F8C-1 and F8C-3 Falcon as a shipboard fighter in 1927–1928. They were later redesignated OC-1 and OC-2 for Marine Corps use as an observation/bomber. The F8C-4 Helldiver variant initially saw service with the Navy, and the first production batch of 25 was transferred in 1931 to the Marine Corps. A total of 34 F8Cs redesignated as O2C-1 observation aircraft were also transferred to the Naval Reserve in 1931, serving with squadrons VN-10RD9, VN-11RD9, and VN-12RD9. Most of the 63 newer F8C-5/O2C-1 Helldivers also served with the Marines, remaining in service until 1936. The type was featured in multiple Hollywood films: ''
Flight
Flight or flying is the motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...
'' (1929), ''
Hell Divers'' (1932) and ''
King Kong
King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
'' (1933). Two non-flying replicas were built for ''
King Kong
King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
'' (2005)
Curtiss Falcon aircraft fought during the
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
Constitutionalist Revolution
The Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 (sometimes also referred to as Paulista War or Brazilian Civil War) is the name given to the uprising of the population of the Brazilian state of São Paulo against the Brazilian Revolution of 1930 wh ...
of 1932, under the flag of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
. In
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
, the aircraft type also fought in the
Chaco War
The Chaco War (, [Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...]
an troops.
The
Colombian Air Force
The Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC, ) is the air force of the Republic of Colombia. The Colombian Aerospace Force is one of the three institutions of the Military Forces of Colombia charged, according to the 1991 Constitution, with working to exe ...
used Falcon F-8 and O-1 in the
Colombia-Peru War in 1932–3.
Variants
U.S. Army Air Corps
;A-3: Model 44,
attack aircraft
An attack aircraft, strike aircraft, or attack bomber is a tactical military aircraft that has a primary role of carrying out airstrikes with greater precision than bombers, and is prepared to encounter strong low-level air defenses while pr ...
version of O-1B, armed with two 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns and 200 lb (91 kg) of bombs; 66 built for the USAAC.
;A-3A: Six A-3s converted into trainers.
;A-3B: Model 37H, attack version of O-1E, with six machine guns, including two mounted in wings; 78 built.

;XA-4: One A-3 with a
Pratt & Whitney R-1340-1 Wasp radial piston engine. Scrapped in March 1932, but the design was the basis for the naval variants.
;A-5: Proposed A-3 variant with
Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror engine
;A-6: Proposed A-3 variant with
Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain engine

;XBT-4: Model 46, one O-1E converted into a basic trainer for the USAAC.
;XO-1:Liberty 12A powered Prototype, later modified to use a Packard 1A-1500, one built.
;O-1: Model 37A, two-seat observation aircraft, the first production model, ten built. One converted into the O-1 Special VIP transport.
;O-1A: Two-seat observation aircraft, powered by the Liberty piston engine, one built.
;O-1B: Model 37B, first major production version, powered by
Curtiss D-12D (V-1150-3) engine; 45 ordered, 25 built and 20 diverted on the production line to the A-3.
;O-1C: Four O-1Bs converted into VIP transports.
;O-1E: Model 37I, variant powered by
Curtiss D-12E (V-1150-5) piston engine; 41 built.
;O-1F: Model 37J, one O-1E converted into VIP transport.
;O-1G: Model 38, final O-1 variant, powered by a
Wright R-1820F-2 Cyclone engine; 30 built for USAAC.
;XO-11: Two O-1 modified as O-11 prototypes.
;O-11: O-1 airframe powered by the Liberty V-1650 piston engine; 67 built concurrently with the O-1s.
;XO-12: One XO-11 prototype redesignated XO-12.
;XO-13: O-1 fitted with Conqueror engine for the 1927
National Air Races
The National Air Races (also known as Pulitzer Trophy Races) are a series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in the United States since 1920. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew ...
.
;XO-13A: Second XO-13, fitted with wing skin radiators.
;O-13B: One O-1C fitted with a Conqueror engine, tested as an observation aircraft, and provided to Secretary of War.
;YO-13C: Three O-1Es re-engined with direct-drive Conqueror engines.
;YO-13D: One O-11 fitted with supercharged Conqueror engine.
;XO-16: One O-11 with Prestone cooling system.
;XO-18: One O-1B testbed for
Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain engine.
;Y1O-26: One O-1E fitted with a geared Conqueror engine.
;O-39: O-1G refitted with a Conqueror engine and cockpit canopy; ten built.
U.S. Navy and Marine Corps

;A-3 Helldiver: Registry name of XF8C-8, not adopted by USN.
;A-4 Helldiver: Civil version of XF8C-8 for use by Assistant Secretary of Navy
David Ingalls. Later redesignated XF8C-7.
;XF8C-1: Model 37C variant developed from XO-12; two built for the U.S. Navy.
;F8C-1 Falcon: Model 37C powered by the
Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
The Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp is an aircraft engine of the reciprocating type that was widely used in American aircraft from the 1920s onward. It was the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company's first engine, and the first of the famed Wasp seri ...
radial piston engine; four built in 1928 for the
U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
as light bombers, fighters and observation aircraft, later redesignated OC-1.
;XF8C-2: Model 49, one prototype for F8C Helldiver. Original crashed on first factory flight and was replaced by Curtiss with a second bearing identical sn.
;F8C-3 Falcon: Second production batch of Navy Falcons; 21 built for USN/USMC in 1928, later redesignated OC-2.
;XF8C-4: Second Helldiver prototype, modified tail skid assembly.
;F8C-4 Helldiver: Model 49B, production dive-bomber variant for the USN/USMC; 25 built, later designated O2C.
;F8C-5 Helldiver: Model 49B with ring cowling; 63 built in 1930–31, later designated O2C-1.
;XF8C-6: Two F8C-5s modified with superchargers, slats, and wing flaps; one later modified as O2C-2.
;XF8C-7: Redesignation of A-4 Helldiver, later redesignated XO2C-2.
;XF8C-8: Two prototypes built with canopy-enclosed front cockpit, later redesignated O2C-2.
;O2C-1 Helldiver: Redesignation of 63 F8C-5; 30 production O2C-1s in 1931.
;O2C-2 Helldiver: Redesignation of XF8C-8s and one XF8C-6.
;XOC-3: One XF8C-1 prototype fitted with a Chieftain engine.
;XF10C-1:O2C-2 re-engined with a R-1510 engine, also temporary designated XS3C-1.
Civil and export
;Civil Falcon: 20 civil versions: Conqueror
Mail plane
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letter (message), letters, and parcel (package), parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid ...
; D-12 Mailplane; ''Lindbergh Special'', sold to
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...
; Liberty Mailplane, 14 single-seat mailplanes, powered by a Liberty piston engines, sold to
National Air Transport
National Air Transport was a large United States airline; in 1930 it was bought by Boeing. The Air Mail Act of 1934 prohibited airlines and manufacturers from being under the same corporate umbrella, so Boeing split into three smaller companies, o ...
.
;Export Falcon: also South American D-12 Falcon. One seaplane version of the O-1B was sold to
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, followed by an order for 15 more. Another 10 Model 35Fs were sold to
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
.
;Colombia Cyclone Falcon: Model 37F fitted with the
Wright Cyclone
Wright Cyclone was the name given to a family of air-cooled radial piston engines designed by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation and used in numerous American aircraft in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
Background
The Wright Aeronautical Corporatio ...
radial piston engine. 100 built for Colombia.
;Chilean Falcon: O-1E design built under license in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
, 10 later sold to
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. One example ended up in Paraguay as passage fee for the remaining aircraft. It operated mostly as a VIP transport, but made at last one reconnaissance flight over the Chaco war fields armed with two machine-guns from a Potez.
;Bolivia Cyclone Falcon: Similar to Colombian Falcon, it was fitted with the
Wright SR-1820F-2 Cyclone radial piston engine. A total of nine were built for Bolivia in some odd variants from the Colombian ones. Bolivian Cyclone Falcons mounted one frontal .30 MG and most also one rear .30 MG instead of the two wing-mounted ones. Two had semi-cockpit canopies over pilots cockpit; two had windscreens instead of canopy in both cockpits, these two had no ring mount for rear machine gun.
Operators
Military operators
;
*
Bolivian Air Force
The Bolivian Air Force (BAF; or 'FAB') is the air force of Bolivia and branch of the Bolivian Armed Forces.
History
By 1938 the Bolivian air force consisted of about 60 aircraft ( Curtiss Hawk fighters, Curtiss T-32 Condor II and Junkers ...
;
*
Public Force of São Paulo State
*
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force (, FAB) is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Brazilian Brazilian Army Aviation (1919–1941), Army and Brazilian Naval Aviation, Nav ...
;
*
Chilean Air Force
The Chilean Air Force () is the air force of Chile and branch of the Chilean military.
History
The first step towards the current FACh is taken by Lieutenant Colonel, Teniente Coronel training as a pilot in France. Although a local academy was c ...
;
*
Colombian Air Force
The Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC, ) is the air force of the Republic of Colombia. The Colombian Aerospace Force is one of the three institutions of the Military Forces of Colombia charged, according to the 1991 Constitution, with working to exe ...
;
*
Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; ; ) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions. The Finnish Air ...
;
*
Paraguayan Air Force
;
*
Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force (, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of aerial warfare, air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding i ...
;
*
Philippine Army Air Corps
The Philippine Army Air Corps () was created in 1935 as the air component of the Philippine Army. It was the predecessor of the Philippine Air Force, created in 1947.
History
The Air Corps was created by the Philippine National Assembly' ...
;
*
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
*
United States Marines
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...
*
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
Civil operators
;
*
National Air Transport
National Air Transport was a large United States airline; in 1930 it was bought by Boeing. The Air Mail Act of 1934 prohibited airlines and manufacturers from being under the same corporate umbrella, so Boeing split into three smaller companies, o ...
operated 14 aircraft.
Specifications Model 37H (A-3B)
See also
References
Bibliography
*
*
* Hagedorn, Dan and Antonio Luis Sapienza. ''Aircraft of the Chaco War''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2000. .
External links
Curtiss A-3 fact sheet on National Museum of the USAF websiteCurtiss A-3B fact sheet on National Museum of the USAF website History and specifications from the reference book ''American Combat Planes of the 20th Century'' by Ray Wagner
"The West Point Of The Air""''Popular Mechanics'', June 1930—photos pages 936 (middle), 939 (top) and 940 (bottom)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falcon, Curtiss
Falcon family
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Biplanes
1920s United States attack aircraft
1920s United States fighter aircraft
1920s United States mailplanes
Aircraft first flown in 1925
Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear