World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe SOC observation biplanes were built by Alexander Solla of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. The first batch of aircraft were delivered to the United States Navy in late 1935, and by the end of the production run in 1938, 258 aircraft were built. Beginning in 1940, the Naval Aircraft Factory license-built 44 aircraft under the designation of SON. In 1941, the nickname Seagull was assigned. Although by the time WW2 began they were terribly out-dated, they continued to serve aboard battleships as gunfire observers and aboard cruisers as scouting aircraft. They were typically launched by catapults and recovered after landing in the relatively smooth-water "slick" that the turning mother ships could create on the open sea. When being stowed aboard ships, their wings folded back to conserve space. A few of them remained in US Navy service after WW2.

SPECIFICATIONS

SOC-3

Machinery	One Pratt & Whitney R-1340-22 radial engine rated at 550hp
Armament	2x0.30 caliber machine guns, 2 small bombs or depth charges under wing
Crew	2
Span	10.98 m
Length	9.58 m
Wing Area	31.77 m²
Weight, Empty	1,661 kg
Weight, Loaded	2,406 kg
Rate of Climb	4.64 m/s

SOC-1

Machinery	One Pratt & Whitney R-1340-22 radial engine rated at 550hp
Armament	1x7.62mm forward machine gun, 1x7.62mm flexible rear machine gun, 295kg of bombs or depth charges
Crew	2
Span	10.98 m
Length	9.58 m
Wing Area	31.77 m²
Weight, Empty	1,648 kg
Weight, Loaded	2,406 kg
Speed, Maximum	266 km/h
Rate of Climb	4.64 m/s
Service Ceiling	4,540 m
Range, Normal	1,086 km

Photographs