U.S. NAVAL AVIATION RESOURCE CENTER > SEAPLANES > SEAGULL > PREVIOUS PAGE
Variants
Prototype aircraft, powered by 550 hp (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-12 engine. One built, re-designated XSOC-1 on 23 March 1935.
SOC-1 (Curtiss Model 71A)
Initial production version, with 500 hp R-1340-18 engine enclosed in NACA cowling. Interchangeable float and wheeled undercarriage. 135 built.
A U.S. Navy Curtiss SOC-1 Seagull (Bu 9979) in flight, July 2, 1939.
[Source: U.S. Navy Photo]
Minor changes, with R-1340-22 engine. 40 built. Wheeled undercarriage only.
XSO2C-1 (Curtiss Model 71C)
Improved version. One prototype only, no production.
SOC-3 (Curtiss Model 71E)
Similar to SOC-2, but with interchangeable undercarriage. 83 built by Curtiss as SOC-3 with further 44 built by the Naval Aircraft Factory as the SON-1.
SOC-3A
All SOC-4s were transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1942 (BuNo 48243, 48244, 48245, respectively), which modified them SOC-3A standard, meaning the fitting of a deck arrester gear.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Lex L. Black, commanding officer of observation squadron VGS-1, makes 2000th landing on the escort carrier USS Long Island (AVG-1), 20 April 1942. He was flying a Curtiss SOC-3A Seagull. Note lowered flaps and deployed leading edge slats on the upper wing.
[Source: U.S. Navy Photo]
The U.S. Coast Guard acquired the final three SOC-3 Seagulls produced by Curtiss in 1938 and these were designated as SOC-4s. They were assigned the USCG call numbers V171, V172, and V173.
The U.S. Coast Guard acquired the final three SOC-3 Seagulls produced by Curtiss in 1938 and these were designated as SOC-4s. This aircraft is V172 (formerly Bu. 48244).
[Source: U.S. Coast Guard Photo]
One built for evaluation based on the SOC-3, but with a 5-foot fuselage stretch and powered by a R-1340-35.
SON-1
SOC-3 aircraft produced by the Naval Aircraft Factory.
Curtiss SOC-3 Seagull observation planes (Bu 1147) built by the
U.S. Navy Naval Aircraft Factory under the designation SON-1 in 1939.
[Source: U.S. Navy Photo]
Ryan built SOCs from 1941
Sources:
Wikipedia
U.S. NAVAL AVIATION RESOURCE CENTER > SEAPLANES > SEAGULL > PREVIOUS PAGE