Curtiss' Model 43 was their first aircraft designed expressly for the Navy, rather than a modified Army type. While clearly a descendant of theP-1 Hawk, its wings were constant-chord rather than tapered, and the upper wing had a slight sweepback. The engine was a 450 hp (340 kW)Pratt & Whitney R-1340-B Waspradial. Entirely fabric-covered, the top wing was framed withspruce, while thefuselage was built from a combination of aluminum and steel tubing, sufficiently strong to serve as adive bomber as well as a fighter.
Theprototype XF7C-1 first flew on 28 February 1927. After some modification demanded by the Navy (such as the wing sweepback), 17 production aircraft F7C-1 Seahawks were built, and entered service in theUSMC'sVF-5M atQuantico. In 1930VF-9M organized the Marines' first aerobatic stunt team, "The Red Devils", with F7Cs featuring red painted noses.[1][2] They continued in service until 1933.
