1/72 Hasegawa Curtiss SOC-3 Seagull

Gallery Article by Oliver Weston on July 1 2009

 

 

Hello All!

    The SOC Seagull was a United States single-engined scout observation biplane aircraft 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 the single float was replaced by fixed wheeled landing gear. Curtiss delivered 258 SOC aircraft, in versions SOC-1 through SOC-4 beginning in 1937. However by 1941 most SOC's had been replaced on board battleships by the Vought Kingfisher, and cruisers were expected to adopt the newer SOC-3. 

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Unfortunately the SOC-3 suffered engine problems in service and plans to adopt it as a replacement were scrapped. The Seagull, despite being a craft from an earlier generation, went on to credibly execute its missions of gunfire observation and limited range scouting missions. The Seagull was armed with one forward firing (fixed) 7.62 Browning machine gun, one flexible rearward firing 7.62 machine gun and when called upon 295kg of bombs.

    Nice little kit from Hasegawa is this. You get a choice of floats or landing gear Built out of the box and brush painted with Humbrol enamels. Everything went together well apart from the fuselage halves which were slightly warped, not a problem until you come to put the engine cowl on! As it would not go on straight without modification. The only additions being the bracing on the wings and floats, plus the antenna cables and masts. Which were all made from scrap sprue or fishing line. Very enjoyable kit of an relatively rare subject!

TTFN.

Oliver Weston

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Photos and text © by Oliver Weston