Curtiss OS3C Seamew No Sea Mooo here....

[johnsjunk]

With the U.S. Navy needing a replacement for it's successful but obsolete SOC Seagull. Curtiss answered the need for a high speed observation plane for battleships and cruisers. The design called for a mid-winged monoplane using an experimental Fairchild Ranger V-770 in-line,12-cylinder,inverted air-cooled engine.

Curtiss gave them the SO3C Seamew  an overweight, under powered, and unstable aircraft. Pilots called them "SeaCow's" or "SeaMooo's". Curtiss went back to the drawing table and improved on their design.

What the U.S. Navy ended up with was a whole new aircraft. In place of the V-770 was an Allison V-1710 from Curtiss's own P-40 Warhawk. To improve the stability problem the vertical fin and rudder were enlarged, a dorsal fin was added above the rear cockpit, and the wing tips were swept upwards.
An RT-5/APS-4 search radar was also installed on the outboard right wing.

Now the U.S. Navy had an observation plane that was fast and stable. Crews no longer called them "SeaCows" they were now called them "SeaHawks"
and went on to serve with the U.S. Navy, Royal Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and many U.S. Navel Reserve units.

I started with a 1/48th scale Czech Model Curtiss SO3C Seamew S.O.B. (Straight Out of Box) then thought Hmmm What If...
The Warhawk nose came from my own "Davis Monthan bone yard" Otaki Curtiss P-40-E Warhawk.
I hacksawed off the V-770 and the V-1710. I didn't have to do much for the conversion. A little filing and sanding was all it took the rest was S.O.B.
The Dark Sea Blue came from a Model Masters rattle can. The decals came from various kits. I still might add depth charges or drop tanks in the future.
But for now I'll call it done. All comments are welcome as always.  Thanks for looking.    John

[Caveman]

Nice bash!

Very plausible

[PR19_Kit]

Excellent work. 

And a very plausible backstory too. 

[redstar72]

Nice work and idea!

[sandiego89]

well done, great idea!

[NARSES2]

I like that 

[TallEng]

Now that is nice
If you were to pop that on the display table at your local model show I'm not
Entirely sure anyone would realize that it was a whiff
Very subtle.
Regards
Keith

[Ed S]

Looks good. A definite improvement on the original Seamew.



Ed