Curtiss SOC-3 Seagull - Hasegawa 1/72
Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 9:04 pm
Hi everyone,
I'm starting to assemble this Hasegawa kit:
by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
to make this aircraft:
VO-5 USS New York (BB-34) Source: Naval History and Heritage Command
The Curtiss SOC Seagull was a biplane scout-observation aircraft that operated from US battleships and cruisers throughout the Second World War and was designed as a replacement for the Vought 02U. Each battleship carried three SOC's for the primary purpose of spotting long range of its 14-inch guns.
All cruiser carried four planes units and these were primarily for scouting.
All models of the SOC were convertible from floatplanes to landsplanes and operated on wheels from naval air stations ashore when their parent ship was in port.
The Seagull was used to support several shore bombardments, including Operation Torch, the invasion of Sicily and the Salerno landings. During these operations it proved to be very vulnerable to enemy fighter aircraft.
The Seagull was in use on US cruisers during the battle of the Coral Sea (4-8 May 1942), at the battle of Midway of June 1942, and on the fleet that supported the invasion of Gaudalcanal and Tulagi in August 1942. At Midway twenty-eight Seagulls equipped Cruiser Scouting Squadrons 4, 5 and 6 (VCS-4, VCS-5 and VCS-6). During the Guadalcanal campaign Seagulls were used to try and find the Japanese ships ferrying reinforcements to the island at night (the Tokyo Express), with at least one being shot down.
A quick look inside the box:
by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
VO-4, Battleship USS Colorado (Land Plane Version)
by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
VO-5. Battleship USS New York (Seaplane Version)
by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
I'm starting to assemble this Hasegawa kit:
by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
to make this aircraft:
VO-5 USS New York (BB-34) Source: Naval History and Heritage Command
The Curtiss SOC Seagull was a biplane scout-observation aircraft that operated from US battleships and cruisers throughout the Second World War and was designed as a replacement for the Vought 02U. Each battleship carried three SOC's for the primary purpose of spotting long range of its 14-inch guns.
All cruiser carried four planes units and these were primarily for scouting.
All models of the SOC were convertible from floatplanes to landsplanes and operated on wheels from naval air stations ashore when their parent ship was in port.
The Seagull was used to support several shore bombardments, including Operation Torch, the invasion of Sicily and the Salerno landings. During these operations it proved to be very vulnerable to enemy fighter aircraft.
The Seagull was in use on US cruisers during the battle of the Coral Sea (4-8 May 1942), at the battle of Midway of June 1942, and on the fleet that supported the invasion of Gaudalcanal and Tulagi in August 1942. At Midway twenty-eight Seagulls equipped Cruiser Scouting Squadrons 4, 5 and 6 (VCS-4, VCS-5 and VCS-6). During the Guadalcanal campaign Seagulls were used to try and find the Japanese ships ferrying reinforcements to the island at night (the Tokyo Express), with at least one being shot down.
A quick look inside the box:
by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
VO-4, Battleship USS Colorado (Land Plane Version)
by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
VO-5. Battleship USS New York (Seaplane Version)
by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
