USCG O2DW-2 "SeaHawk" (Bristol F.2B)

[nighthunter]

ln 1920, the US Coast Guard was tasked with Enforcing the Prohibition Laws. The Coast Guard picked up the Curtiss contract for the American version of the Bristol F.2B "Brisfit", known as the Curtiss XB-1B and subcontracted with Dayton Wright, along with the Navy who had made a previous order that Curtiss subcontracted , and redesignated them O2DW-1, with the Liberty L-8 engines, and equipped with 2-way radios to communicate rum-runner positions to Coast Guard cutters in pursuit. Originally unarmed and unarmored, the O2DW-1's soon caught the unwanted attention of the well armed rum-runners. So, Curtiss upgraded the O2DW-1's with a forward firing Colt-Browning M1919 .30-06 machine gun placed under the cowling, and a common Lewis gun for the observer/radio operator, and lightweight steel plates under the crew compartment, to protect from small arms ground fire. These were designated O2DW-2, and all O2DW-1's were refitted to O2DW-2 specs. The new tactics put in place was that if the aircraft came under fire, it could return fire to disable the rum-runner so that cutters could take them into custody. Also, if a rum-runner dumped cargo to be picked up later, the O2DW's could just strafe and destroy them.

[Old Wombat]

Just remember it has to function in the USCG's "policing" role, not their "military" role, mate.

[nighthunter]

Just remember it has to function in the USCG's "policing" role, not their "military" role, mate.

Thanks for the reminder. I misunderstood the concept. Backstory will be adjusted.

[zenrat]

This has me thinking about a Keystone Cops airwing...

[nighthunter]

Thinking about making a Washington State Patrol Brisfit. Currently under the weather, start delayed by head cold.

[NARSES2]

Get well soon 

[nighthunter]

Well, Head cold (hopefully) continues to plague me, as does the large Honey-Do list I've accumulated. I need to get better time management skills, lol!

[NARSES2]

. I need to get better time management skills, lol!

Don't we all 

[nighthunter]

. I need to get better time management skills, lol!

Don't we all 

I'm neurodivergent, so, I tend to get easily distracted

[kerick]

. I need to get better time management skills, lol!

Don't we all 

I'm neurodivergent, so, I tend to get easily distracted

I didn't know there was a word for that! I'll try that on my wife......

[NARSES2]

I didn't know there was a word for that! I'll try that on my wife......

Been nice knowing you 

[jcf]

The USN didn't use the numeral 1 to indicate the first of a type from a manufacturer,
it was (Type code)(Manufacturer)-(subtype). The second - and on, of the same type
from the same manufacturer would get a number between Type code and Manufacturer
code. So it would be OC-2, but OC-1 and OC-2 were the codes assigned to redesignated
Curtiss F8C-1 and F8C-3 aircraft. The F8C "Falcon" was a two-seat fighter.

Forty-four of the Dayton-Wright built, US Army Engineering Division designed plywood
semi-monococque fuselage version of the Brisfit were built as the XB-1A/B-1A. Two
were given to the USN. The XB-1A was armed with two Marlin MGs in the cowl ahead
of the pilot.

XB-1A/B-1A

So here's a scenario:
The Dayton-Wright built aircraft are an improvement on the original Brisfit (they weren't)
so the Navy decides to order the aircraft, which helps keep DW alive, but in order to gain
familiarity with the airframe they purchase a few of the twenty-seven Curtiss built Brisfits
and have DW navalize them while waiting for the navalized XB-1As. The aircraft receive
the designation of ODW. (Observation)(Dayton Wright) with the Curtiss aircraft being the
ODW-1, and the XB-1A based aircraft the O2DW-1* as the changes were considered great
enough to justify a new type number. DW was the actual USN manufacturer code for
Dayton-Wright. Edit Some of the ODW-1 are later passed on to the USCG.
*of course it's more likely it would just be ODW-2, especially as it helps to hide from the
budget folks how many changes were actually made to the design, an F/A-18A vs. F/A-18E
type situation.


As to the USCG's policing vs. military role, the same aircraft have been used for either purpose
since the beginning of Coast Guard Aviation:
""Aviation was another interesting thing," said Laliberte. "It initially started off small, but
it ended up with five planes and they were mostly used as recon to go out and find where
the ships were on Rum Row, monitor them and report back, much as they do today in drug
interdiction. There were even cases where from the air, the aircraft shot up cases of
alcohol that had been jettisoned."
-  retired Coast Guard Captain Daniel Laliberte, former Intelligence Chief for Coast Guard
Atlantic Area.

[nighthunter]

Thanks for that explanation, Jon, I'll edit accordingly.

[jcf]

You're welcome.