The Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk is a light 1930s biplane fighter aircraft that was carried by the United States Navy airships USS Akron and Macon.

In the late 1920s, the US Navy began experimenting with its airships, initially using USS Los Angeles as a platform for testing the concept of the so-called parasite aircraft.

[3] The success of these tests led to the decision to build two new airships capable of accommodating an on-board air group of specially designed aircraft.

Although designed as a pursuit plane or fighter, the Sparrowhawk's primary duty in service was reconnaissance, enabling the airships it served to search a much wider area of ocean.

Although seemingly a tricky maneuver, pilots soon learned the technique and it was described as being much easier than landing on a moving, pitching and rolling aircraft carrier.

Once the system was fully developed, in order to increase their scouting endurance while the airship was on over-water operations, the Sparrowhawks would have their landing gear removed and replaced by a fuel tank.

[11][12] Data from The Airships Akron & Macon: Flying Aircraft carriers of the United States Navy[13]General characteristics Performance Armament