Subject: Fifth in the Series--the Curtiss P-5 "Superhawk"

From: [email-masked] (Joseph F Baugher)
Date: 27 Aug 92 16:19:27 GMT

>From Joseph F Baugher <[email-masked]>

The Curtiss P-5 (company designation Model 34L)  was  the  designation
given   to   a  version  of  the  P-1  Hawk  that  was  powered  by  a
turbosupercharged Curtiss D-12 engine.  At the request of  the  USAAC,
five  airframes identical to the P-1A had the 435 hp turbosupercharged
V-1150-4 (D-12F)  engine  installed  and  were  designated  P-5.   The
turbosupercharger  was mounted externally on the left hand side of the
fuselage.

Five examples of the P-5 were ordered on May 14, 1927.  Serial numbers
were  27-327/331.   The  first  example was delivered in January 1928.
The high altitude performance showed a marked improvement over that of
the  standard  P-1A.  The top speed of the P-5 was only 142 mph at sea
level, but it increased to 173.5 mph at  25,000  feet.   The  aircraft
could  climb  to  10,000  feet in 8.4 minutes.  Initial climb rate was
1250 ft/min.  The service ceiling was 31,900 feet, almost ten thousand
feet greater than than of the P-1B.  Weights were 2551 lb. empty, 3340
lbs. gross.  Armament was the same as  that  of  the  "standard"  P-1,
namely  a  pair of 0.30 cal machine guns mounted in the upper fuselage
cowling synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.

Although the P-5 exhibited a  much  better  high-altitude  performance
than the standard P-1, the general feeling on the part of the Army was
that it would be better to wait for the arrival of the  more  powerful
Conqueror  engine rather than to go ahead with a large procurement for
series production of the P-5. Consequently, only five P-5s were built.
Two  of  the five P-5s were destroyed during the test program, but the
surviving three planes entered service with the 97th Pursuit Squadron.
They  remained  in  service  until  mid  1932.  Curtiss chose the name
"Superhawk" for the P-5, but I don't think that  this  name  was  ever
official.

Sources:

  United States Military Aircraft Since  1909, Gordon Swanborough  and
  Peter Bowers, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989.

  The American Fighter, Enzo Angellucci and Peter Bowers, Orion Books,
  1987.

  Curtiss Aircraft: 1907-1947, Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute Press,
  1987.

  "The Curtiss Army  Hawks", Peter  M.  Bowers, Aircraft  in  Profile,
  Doubleday, 1969.

Joe Baugher       AT&T Bell Laboratories    2000 North Naperville Road 
		  Naperville, Illinois 60566-7033.   (708) 713-4548