Curtiss D
| Curtiss D | |
|---|---|
 Curtiss 1911 Model D Type IV (replica) |
|
| Type: | Multipurpose aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
The Curtiss 1911 Model D Type IV Pusher was the second aircraft to be used by the US Army Signal Corps from 1911. It was named Signal Corps Airplane No. 2 .
history
From 1910 Glenn Curtiss tried to market his aircraft civilly and military, while he was in a strong competition with the Wright brothers . A certain Eugene Burton Ely had blown his employer's Curtiss plane into wreckage during this time. After repairing the plane, Ely learned how to fly and made intensive flights in Portland . On a trip to an exhibition in Winnipeg , Canada in June 1910, he met Glenn Curtiss in Minneapolis , Minnesota . From then on, Ely started working for Curtiss.
In October 1910, Ely and Curtiss met Captain Washington Chambers of the US Navy . This had the order to examine the use of aircraft for the US Navy. This led to two famous flight tests.
On November 14, 1910, Ely was the first person to take off from a ship. The flight test was carried out from a makeshift platform on the light cruiser USS Birmingham . Two months later, on January 18, 1911, Ely was the first person to land on a ship, the heavy cruiser USS Pennsylvania .
On October 19, 1911, Ely was killed in a plane crash at an air show in Georgia.
The Curtiss 1911 Model D Type IV Pusher was taken over by the US Army Signal Corps on April 27, 1911 at Fort Sam Houston . Then five more machines were ordered in 1911.
construction
The military Model D largely corresponded to the civilian Model D Pusher, a double-decker with a pusher propeller and a rigid three-wheeled landing gear. The ailerons, however, were moved backwards. The wings were easy to dismantle and could easily be transported in army vehicles. The aileron could be moved with a kind of shoulder bracket for the pilot. Behind the pilot was an additional observer position.
Replica
From 1985 to 1987 the aircraft was reproduced in the USAF Museum . There were no original drawings, so the dimensions had to be derived from old photographs. Further measurements were taken from an existing Curtiss pusher. The engine was made from wood and plastic. The materials used corresponded to the original.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Curtiss Model D Type IV pushers data |
|---|---|
| crew | Pilot and observer |
| length | 8.9 m |
| span | 11.6 m |
| height | 2.3 m |
| Empty mass | 317 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 589 kg |
| drive | a Curtiss V-8 with 75 hp |
| Top speed | 80 km / h |
| Max. Flight duration | 2.5 h |
Web links
- Curtiss Model D at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (accessed January 10, 2016)