US Navy WW2 Aviation

USA, 1915-45. 80,000+ Aircraft

An introduction: Among the pioneers (1908 to the interwar)

The US Navy had wings, early on. From pioneers like Eugene Ely, which made the world's first ship launches and landings in 1912, to Mitchell's bombing tests in the 1920s, this story went in reality way back in a sense, to the observation ballons used by the Union Navy during bombardments operations on the mississippi and James River.

The very early days: The Wright Brothers and the Navy

The Wright Bothers already got the attention of the Navy in 1908. Orville's record-breaking flights at Fort Myer, aroused officers of the Navy to action. Secretary of Navy Metcalf was among the spectators, with Assistant Secretary Newberry permanently at Fort Myer. A report was redacted by Lt. George C. Sweet of the Bureau of Equipment about Fort Myer tests for the Navy. Metcalf later was interviewed and expressed an interest to buy an aeroplane and develop that new branch in the future. When asked, Orville later said that he could made his airplane float, fitted with two light water skids similar to rowing shells. After its flight, the seaplane could be brought alongside of the ship, pulled out of the water by davits.

Ely's 1912 tests

1910 was a rich year for naval aviation. A dozen of seaplanes were already being tested around the world, and both in France and UK, former cruisers started experiments with floatplanes, while in the US, a daring officer, Lt. Eugene Ely, starts tests to land on a warship with an wheeled undercarriage model. Already he took off on 14 November 1910 from USS Birmingham, using the first bow-mounted platform, on a Curtis pusher. Ely also made a "world's first" with the first landing in 1911, on the USS Pennsylvania. From these early tests, both the idea of a full-fledge aircraft carrier and flying-off platforms met success (in the Royal Navy). HMS Furious and HMS Courageous showed the way in 1917. It's on 9 May 1912 indeed that the first airplane take-off from a ship underway is made, by a British pilot on HMS Hibernia.

WWI: the USN took delivery of thousands of new aircraft

Japan in 1914 pioneered the first sea-air operations over Tsingtau from IJN Wakamiya and in July 1918 is launched trondern raid, first naval air attack. At that time, the RN possessed the largest fleet or seaplane and airplane carriers and greatest expertise while the US somehwat lags behind. The USN however took delivery of hundreds of new planes for the USN and USMC. Although operations were done from land bases along the US Coast and British or French bases in 1918, activity is anecdotal and the Navy came for deliveries, way behind the Army.

USN airmen in 1914, Pensacola NAS

USN pilots at Pensacola NAS, first naval air base in 1914.

Godfrey Chevalier (photo) even before the war, stepping into Ely's path, first flew on 12 July 1916 from the first real aircraft catapult onboard the armored cruiser USS North Carolina. He would play later a pajor part in the development of naval aviation techniques onboard USS Langley.

US Interwar Naval Aviation

As the US fell into a relative sleep in military matters after WWI victory and the Versailles treaty is signed, interest for aviation is hurt both by massive peacetime budget cuts, conservatism and attachment to the Mahan doctrine and battleships in the USN. A WWI veteran pilot, Billy Mitchell's with his "Project B" wanted to show air-power was seomthing serious, to be taken with consideration, and arranged a demonstration with a famous and mediatic Anti-ship bombing demonstration. Hi exercise proved the effect of air power on any warship, and their vulnerability. This infuriated the navy, already curtailed by the Washington treaty, which saw the US Army flegdging Air Force taking over budgets from their branch. Mitchell was court-martialled but ultimately won with some political support and the press.

In between, the Navy, not to be undone by either Britain or Japan, started construction of a first "flattop" on the basis of a surplus WWI fleet collier, in 1920. The famous USS Langley, the "covered wagon", is converted in Norfolk NyD in 1920-22 and tests started later that year (Commander Kenneth Whiting) with the press commenting the exploits of these first pioneers: Lt. Virgil C. Griffin (first take off 17 October 1922 with a Vought VE-7), G. Chevalier, first to land an Aeromarine 39B on USS Langley (CV-1), on 26 October. From then on pilots and engineers defined the first techniques while the admiralty, later convinced by Mitchell's exploits studied the conversion of the two battlecruisers of the Lexington class, into its first fleet aicraft carriers. This was a long process, only achieved in 1927.

USN air crews, uss langley

The 1920 saw indeed the USN first orders for specialized aircraft. The Aeromarine and Curtiss "Jenny" were both capable of operations from a carrier, and versatile enough to act as fighter/observation/scouts/light bombers. However progress in technology already shown fighters in 1919-1920 capable of reaching 400 kph with more powerful engines and a mixed construction of metal and wood covered with fabric. Soon, the USN took delivery of a first air group for USS Langley composed of Vought VE-7F, Aeromarine 39-B, and Curtiss TS-1, already kind of specialized in their tasks accordng to their agility, speed, range and payload.

In 1924 the Navy had its first torpedo-bomber, the Douglas DT-2. In fighter went a long way, and Boing delivered in 1925 its FB-2. In 1926, USS langley operated the Curtiss F6C and Boeing FB-5. New versions arrived yearly and ordered were modified acordingly. In 1927 the Navy accepted her new torpedo-bomber, the Douglas T2D-1 and the next year, the Navy had its first all-metal biplane fighter, the Boeing F3B-1. In 1929 the Martin T4M-1 became the new standard torpedo bomber, replacing the Douglas, and in 1930, the new standard Fighter became the Boeing F4B-2, then F4B-4 two years later, Curtiss seemingly out of the loop for Navy orders, concentrating on more lucrative, way larger Army orders.

USS Lexington 1929

In 1931 the Navy accepted the Pitcairn XOP-1, its first observation autogyro, first ever USN rotary-wing aircraft to be seriously evaluated. In 1934 the Navy accepted the Martin BM-2 as its new torpedo bomber, followed by Great Lakes models, flying from the decks of the USS Langley, Lexington and Saratoga, and from 1934, from the decks of USS Ranger, and in 1938, USS Yorktown. In between, Grumman started to make a name of itself, delivering to the Navy an innovative rectractable wheeltrain, firs adaptated on a Boeing naval aircraft before its own models started to be accepted, the FF and the F2F. More on USN Aircraft carriers.

Prewar USN aviation (1938-41)

(In redaction)

USN Production Fighters:

Curtiss F11C/BFC Goshawk (1932)

The Curtiss F11C Goshawk is now a somewhat forgotten USN naval biplane fighter of limited production (28 for the BFC-2). Declined into the C2 with landing undercarriage and a sole prototype with Grumman's retractable undercarriage (C3), it only saw service for a time on USS Saratoga (BFC-2/VB-2B, VF-1B) and Enterprise (VB-6). It had far more success at export as the Hawk I and II for China, Thailand or Colombia and Peru (all seeing action) as well as Chile, Norway, and Turkey.

Grumman FF (1932)

It was a kind of hybrid, with two-seat and enclosed cockpit, and all-metal fuselage while wings were covered with fabric. The initial 616 hp Wright R-1820-E Cyclone was replaced in production by the more powerful 750 hp (560 kW) Wright R-1820-F Cyclone allowing the record speed of 201 mph (323 km/h) in the Navy. Production was limited to single-seat 27 FF-1 in December 1932 plus 33 scouts (SF-1s) with two-seats and R-1820-84 Cyclone engine. Other versions of the Grumman F3F followed and a total of 116 as ultimately built. This was just a pinprick compared to the production of the following wartime F4F, the first to have a proper name, the first of the "cats".His famous rectractable landing gear also made its way via Grover-Loening on the other fighter of this generation, the Curtiss BF2C Goshawk.

Grumman F2F (1933)

The outstanding performance of the Grumman FF-1 "Fifi" two-seat multirole aircraft, significantly faster than single-seat fighters of its day, prompted the Grumman design team to consider the potential of a single-seat version of the FF in 1932 already. In June Grumman submitted to the US Navy a carrier fighter proposal, the Grumman G-8. The navy accepted a prototype to be tested. The XF2F-1 prototype was completed in November the same year, slightly smaller than the FF, and with a semi-monocoque metal fuselage, reinforced metal wings, but the aileron and upper plane still canvas wrapped. It was a modern model with retractable landing gear, making the best of its engine. Long story short, 55 were made, operational for several years on Lexington, Rnger, Yorktown, and later from some NAS until 1939.

Brewster F2A Buffalo (1937)

The Brewster Buffalo has quite a reputation in WW2. For many, it was "the worst fighter of WW2". That can be analysed in facts and put in relation to the context of its deployment, and compared to the plane's actual technical issues. But at the end of the day, it started as a naval fighter, ordered by the USN to a young and relatively untested company. Long story short, the Navy tried it, and curtailed the order as soon as reports came in. The production models then were passed onto the "second market" of lend-lease, the British operated it, as did the Dutch in the same theatre of operations, and the Finns. In the hands of the latter it did apparently wonders, which makes the whole case of "worst of WW2" a statement to take with at least a pinch of salt. Now here you go, let's dive into this model squarely and look at its short career in the US Navy where it started.

Vought F4U Corsair (1941)

Probably the most famous fighter ever designed for any Navy, arguably, was the Vought F4U Corsair. Not only for its production, which went further than the Hellcat, and went shy of their land rivals, the P51 Mustang and P47 Thunderbolt, but certainly outlived them all but its active service. The very last seeing action in a war zone were 19 Honduran F4U in the 1969 "soccer war" vs El Salvador (they were only retired in 1976). Since the Corsair, second of the name, first flew in 1940, this made for 36 years of service. A rare feat for any WW2 vintage model.

Fighter Prototypes

General Aircraft FA (1932)

The PW-4 followed U.S. Navy Spec. No. 96, calling for a carrier-based light fighter, but it was in fact a cover for an airship fighter, the Curtiss XF9C. The XFA was a single-bay biplane, all-metal fuselage, metal laminate skin and of innovative construction with ben inwards edges and inside rivets fastening. The main wing was a gull-type, fabric covered. Ordered in 1930 it was delayed until 1932 but showed poor flying characteristics, was modified and returned for more testing but this was even worse. It was classed as unsafe and cancelled.

Curtiss XF13C (1937)

The Curtiss XF13C (Model 70) was a carrier-based fighter aircraft built by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. It was naval fighter with all-metal construction, semi-monocoque fuselage, manually retractable landing gear, enclosed cockpit to facilitate conversions from biplane to monoplane and vice versa. The XF13C-1 was the monoplane and the XF13C-2 was the biplane. The first flew in 1934, had good results and had a better engine in 1935 and modified tailplanes, becoming the XF13C-3 for more flight testing. However the USN was ultimately not interested by the concept of convertible biplane/monoplane albeit the model continued tests at NACA for many years.

Curtiss XF14C (1944)

The dying gasps of a dying giant: The Curtiss XF14C was an American naval fighter aircraft. It was developed by Curtiss-Wright in response to a request by the United States Navy in 1941 to produce a new shipboard high-performance fighter aircraft. It first flew by July 1944. Moreover, disappointment with performance estimates and delays with the availability of the XR-3350-16 engine coupled with the evaporating tactical need for an extremely high-altitude fighter led to cancellation of the development.

USN Carrier Torpedo Bombers:

(To come)

USN Land Bombers:

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, probably the most famous of these patrol bombers, a Navy-derived Liberator. List:

Boeing PBB Sea Ranger (proto), P2B patrol bombers (4 ex B-29)
Consolidated BY Fleetster, B2Y, PB4Y Liberator, PB4Y-2 Privateer
Douglas BD Havoc, T2D(P2D).
Great Lakes BG, B2G
Martin BM (T5M)
Naval Aircraft Factory BN, PBN Nomad
North Am. PBJ Mitchell (USN variant of the B-25)
Northrop BT/B2T
Lockheed PBO Hudson, PV Ventura/Harpoon, P2V Neptune (dev started).
Observation planes/scouts:

Elias EM/EO (1922):

General-purpose and marine expeditionary biplane (7 built). The Elias EM-1 was designed for the United States Marine Corps as a multirole marine expeditionary aircraft, operating on floats or wheels and easily convertible. The EM-1 was a two-seater of unequal-span powered by a 300 hp (224 kW) Wright-Hispano H engine, later modified to equal-span and delivered in 1922. Six production models followed designated EM-2 with a 400 hp (298 kW) Liberty 12 inline engine. The "M" was supposedly intended to design this multirole function, "E" standing for the manufacturer. Later one was modified as an observation plane only, taking the denomination EO-1.
Huff Daland Models (1922):

Originally designed for the USAAS, the Huff-Daland Type XV Training Water-Cooled TW-5 (26 built) was another multirole model, but on this total, nine were for the USN: The HN-1 with floats, powered by a 180hp Wright-Hispano E2 engine (3), the HN-2 (same) powered by a 200hp Lawrance J-1 (3) and the HO-1 with a 180hp Wright-Hispano E2 engine and interchangeable wheel/float undercarriage (3).
Martin MO (1922):

In the early 1920s the United States Navy wanted to test a monoplane with a thick airfoil section and cantilever for observation, such as those designed by the Dutch company Fokker. The Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics however soon designed a derived three-seat observation monoplane and by contract, choosed Glenn Martin for production of the designated MO-1, with an order for 36 land-based, long-range aircraft. The MO-1 had a slab-sided fuselage, fixed tailwheel landing gear, all-metal structure, fabric covering, and powered by a Curtiss D-12 engine. In 1924 one was tested with floats (36 built).
Martin M2O (1923):

The Naval Aircraft Factory NO was a short-range reconnaissance and gun spotting aircraft of the 1920s, intended to serve with the fleet. There was also a single-engined three-seat biplane alternative that can swap floats for wheels but it's not clear if it was planned to be catapulted. Six were built for the U.S. Navy for evaluation. Next came the Martin NO-1 adapted from the design, of which three were built.

They measured 31 ft 10 in (9.7 m) for a wingspan of 43 ft 6 in (13.29 m) and a respectable gross weight of 4,173 lb (1,893 kg). They were powered by a Curtiss D-12 435 hp (324 kW), 2 bladed propellers for a top speed 104 mph (167 km/h, 90 kn) and defended by a single .30-cal Lewis machine gun at the rear. Later the model was renamed after its factory, M2O (M for Martin, O for observation). They were used for evaluation and it's no clear which. They were retired in 1927.
Boeing NB (1923):

The Boeing NB (Model 21) was a training aircraft developed in 1923 as a two-bay, equal-span biplane with interchangeable wheeled and float undercarriage. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem. The first serie was called NB-1, powered by radial engines, 41 delivered to the USN. The second by war-surplus Wright-Hispano E V8 engines still in inventory, called NB-2, 30 built. The NB-3 had a lengthened fuselage, modified empennage and same V8 engine, but later refitted as NB-1. 72 Boieng NB were manuactured in total, the last in 1927.

The prototype VNB-1 was evaluated by the Navy as an observation model and was deemed "too easy to fly". This is was founded better fit as a trainer. Its core caracteristic was to be near impossible to spin. The NB-1 was modified to gain a bit of instability, but when spinning, it was virtually impossible to recover and so further modifications were made to achieve a balance. The NB remained a trainer from 1923 to the mid-1930s, both in land undercarriage and floatplane versions.
Boeing O2B (1925):

This was essentially a US built variant of the Airco DH.4, derived from the DH-4M-1, designated O2B-1 by the US Navy with the O2B-2 is cross-country and night flying conversion for Navy. A large number of DH-4s were used by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps already in WWI. They received 51 DH-4s in WWI, 172 DH-4B and DH-4B-1 postwar. Licence was acquired for Boeing to crank up an additional 30 DH-4M-1s with welded steel-tube fuselages, redesignated O2B, in 1925. They remained in service with the USMC until 1929, seeing combat in Nicaragua (1927) making the first dive-bombing attacks. Extra DH-4M-1s were also converted as air ambulances with a single stretcher. To not confuse with the Boeing OB-O2B, a prototype convertible seaplane recconnaissance model.
Curtiss OC (Former F8C) (1925):

The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane whch mostly saw action with the United States Army Air Corps. As observation aircraft designations changed, they were accepted as O-1 and O-11. The attack variants were named the A-3 Falcon. Later 338 were adopted by USAAC and for what we are concerned with, some 150 USN/USMC models. The Navy tried many sub-variants, adopting a late famous name: A-3 Helldiver (not adopted), A-4 Helldiver (VIP transport for the Assistant Secretary of Navy David Ingalls), XF8C-1 (2, derived from the XO-12).

Four F8C-1 Falcon (420 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial) in 1928, USMC light bombers/fighters/observation, later OC-1.
The XF8C-2 (Model 49) was the prototype for the F8C Helldiver. 21 F8C-3 Falcon were built for the USN/USMC in 1928, later OC-2.
The prototype XF8C-4 had a modified tail skid assembly, leading to the F8C-4 Helldiver (Model 49B) dive-bomber with 25 built (O2C as well).
The most produced was the F8C-5 Helldiver (Model 49B) with ring cowling, 63 built in 1930–31 (O2C-1).
Prototypes followed such as the two XF8C-6 with superchargers, slats, wing flaps (O2C-2), the XF8C-7 (A-4 Helldiver/XO2C-2), the two XF8C-8 with canopy-enclosed front cockpit (O2C-2) and the XF8C-8s and one XF8C-6 leading to the experimental O2C-2 Helldiver.
The mast produced was the O2C-1 Helldiver (F8C-5) with 30 delivered as O2C-1s in 1931.

To be continued...
Resources
U.S. Navy Interested in Wright Airplane (1908), by Dr. Richard Stimson in The 'Military Airplane', wrightstories.com