THE NAVAL FIGHTER

Evolution of the Naval Fighter

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The Navy’s first true fighters were both based on remarkably similar designs developed for the Army by Curtiss and the young Boeing Company. The Curtiss F6C-1 Hawk was one of 37 built for the Navy in 1927. Powered by a liquid-cooled Curtiss D-12 engine, the Hawk was 15-mph slower than the competing Boeing FB-1 in Marine Corps markings. The Boeing design was largely influenced by Tony Fokker’s highly successful very advanced Fokker D-VII fighter of WW I.

If any one factor became apparent in the remarkable growth of Naval aviation during WWI, it was that the Navy felt little need to develop a modern Naval fighter.  Indeed, out of a force that numbered more than 2000 recently-acquired Naval aircraft, most were flying boats, seaplanes and training types. Less than 100 in the Naval inventory were fighters and these were largely a mix of worn out foreign-built aircraft totally unsuited for Naval needs. So it was that as the guns on the Western Front fell silent and the Navy contemplated acquiring its first long deferred aircraft carrier, little thought had been given to the potential role of fighters in the as yet undeveloped doctrine of Naval airpower.

If your into 'Military Aircraft'...especially U.S. Navy Fighters....and then you like to dabble a tad in history....well you may enjoy this "TWO PART" article..."Evolution of the Naval Fighter"

PART I

PART II




I hope you enjoy the article