| Falcon | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Curtiss A-3 Falcon. This was the first A-3 aircraft, later converted to O-1B. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Observation, Attack |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company |
| Primary users | United States Army Air Corps |
| Number built | 338 USAAC[1] 150 USN/USMC |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1925 |
| Retired | October 1937 |
The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane aircraft built by the American aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.
U.S. Navy variants were used initially as fighter-bombers with the designation F8C Falcon, then as the first U.S. Marine Corps dive bombers with the name Helldiver. Two later generations of Curtiss dive-bombers were also named Helldiver.
The type was introduced in 1925 and saw first-line service in the United States until 1934. Curtiss Falcons fought in the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 in Brazil, used by the forces of São Paulo.