SOC-1

SOC-1

SOC-1

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.3	1.3	1.3

Class:

Bomber

Light bomber

Hydroplane

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

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Description

The SOC-1 Seagull is a gift rank I American bomber with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Winged Lions" as a ship-launched reconnaissance aircraft.

Ships that carry the SOC-1

• USS Arizona
• USS Detroit
• USS Helena
• USS New Orleans
• USS Northampton
• USS Pensacola
• USS Portland
• USS Raleigh

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 1 700 m296 km/h

Turn time33 s

Max altitude5 950 m

EnginePratt & Whitney R-1340-27

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight2 t

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at _,___ m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	___	___	5950	__._	__._	__._	__._	___
Upgraded	___	___		__._	__._	__._	__._

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
_	_	_	_	_

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	550	___	___	___	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< ___	< ___	< ___	> ___

Survivability and armour

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear550 km/h

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 17.62 mm Browning machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Fire rate1 000 shots/min

The SOC-1 is armed with:

• 1 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (500 rpg)

Suspended armament

List of setups (1)

Setup 12 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bomb

The SOC-1 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb total)

Defensive armament

Turret7.62 mm Browning machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Fire rate1000 shots/min

The SOC-1 is defended by:

• 1 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun, dorsal turret (500 rpg)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

Cons:

History

The Curtiss SOC-1 Seagull was an American single-engined scout observation seaplane, designed by Alexander Solla of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation for the United States Navy. The aircraft served on battleships and cruisers in a seaplane configuration, being launched by catapult and recovered from a sea landing. The wings folded back against the fuselage for storage aboard ship. When based ashore or on carriers the single float was replaced by fixed wheeled landing gear.

Development

The SOC was ordered for production by the United States Navy in 1933 and first entered service in 1935. The first order was for 135 SOC-1 models, which was followed by 40 SOC-2 models for landing operations and 83 SOC-3s. A variant of the SOC-3 was built by the Naval Aircraft Factory and was known as the SON-1. The most numerous of the series, the SOC-1, internally designated the Curtis Model 71A, was powered by a 550hp (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-18 Wasp single-row, nine-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine in an NACA cowling providing a top speed of 143 knots (165 mph) at 5,000ft. The plane had interchangeable floats or landing gear so it could operate on land or water. The armament of the SOC-1 was a single fixed .30 caliber AN/M2 Browning machine gun in a fixed-wing mount and a flexible model used by the observer. The Seagull could also carry 2 100lb bombs or 325lb depth charges on underwing mounts.

Service History

The first ship the SOC was assigned to was the light cruiser USS Marblehead in November 1935; by the end of the decade, the SOC had replaced its predecessor throughout the fleet. Production came to an end in 1938. By 1941, most battleships had transitioned to the Vought OS2U Kingfisher and cruisers were expected to replace their aging SOCs with the third generation SO3C Seamew. The SO3C, however, suffered from a weak engine and plans to adopt it as a replacement were scrapped. The SOC, despite belonging to an earlier generation, went on to execute its missions of gunfire observation and limited range scouting missions.

Through the first six months of naval service, the SOC was known as the XO3C-1, The designation was changed to SOC when it was decided to merge its scouting and observation roles. The SOC was not called the Seagull until 1941, when the U.S. Navy began the wholesale adoption of popular names for aircraft in addition to their alpha-numeric designations. The name 'Seagull' had earlier been given to two civil Curtiss aircraft, a Curtiss Model 18 and a Model 25, both converted Curtiss MF flying boats.

When operating as a seaplane, returning SOCs would land on the relatively smooth ocean surface created on the sheltered side of the vessel as it made a wide turn, after which the aircraft would be winched back onto the deck.

When the SOC was replaced by the OS2U Kingfisher, most remaining airframes were converted into trainers; they remained in use until 1945. With the failure of the Curtiss SO3C Seamew, many SOCs in second line service were returned to frontline units starting in late 1943. They saw service aboard warships in the combat zone for the rest of World War II. This is one of the few instances in aviation history in which an older aircraft type, that was retired or sent to second line service, replaced the new aircraft type that was intended to replace it.

In certain roles such as an observation aircraft for battleships, they served until 1949, and were eventually superseded by longer range radar and helicopters.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Ship-launched reconnaissance aircraft
USA	O3U-1 · OS2U-1* · SOC-1
Germany	Ar 196 A-3*
USSR	KOR-1
Britain	Osprey Mk IV · Walrus Mk.I
Japan	E7K2 · E8N2 · E13A1 · F1M2*
Italy	Ro.43
France	GL.832HY · Loire 130С
	*Available standalone in tech tree