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)
Just an observation which, while irrelevant to this build, may be of use to readers contemplating a similar model. On those pre-war U.S. cruisers with two catapults (one on each side amidships on a tower and stowed parallel too, and approximately level with, the outer side of the deck) in port the aircraft carried on the catapults would have the outboard wings folded back while those inboard would be fully extended. An odd-looking but interesting way of displaying the Seagull if a catapult were available, as it is in some Japanese seaplane kit releases.
Hi Mark,
the braces aren’t inside the kit, I had to add the brass rod to the float.
To maintain the wing structure perpendicular, I used fast cyano glue.
Thanks, just need a couple of translations. Mr. Surfacer 1500; black or gray? Nitro, I suspect that that’s called lacquer thinner in the US, or did you use something else?
It’s a beautiful finish, I hope mine comes out 1/3 as well
In Italy the “Diluente per Nitro” it is used as thinner for the car paint and in scale model is an inexpensive thinner (2$ /Lt.) for all acrylics paint (Tamiya, Gunze)…
in English I think it is “nitro thinner” or Laquer Thinner, but the chemical composition is different from, for example, the tamiya laquer thinner
Thanks, I just wanted to be sure, language barriers and all. Most stores around here would not react well if I went in and asked for Nitro. Lacquer thinner will get an entirely different response.
Brilliant work Rodolfo! Really nice finish on that aeroplane. I don’t think I have ever seen one of these built before, so a very pleasant surprise to see.
Lacquer thinner will get an entirely different response. 
