Curtiss F
| Curtiss F | |
|---|---|
 Flying boat Curtiss F |
|
| Type: | Flying boat |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 12, 1912 |
| Number of pieces: |
over 150 |
The American Curtiss F was one of the most built flying boats before and during the First World War .
history
Glenn Curtiss was considered one of the pioneers in building flying boats. After Henri Fabre in 1910, he was the second to build an airworthy flying boat in 1911. On January 12, 1912, the first flight of the double-decker flying boat Curtiss F, initially referred to simply as the Curtiss Flying Boat , took place. It was the first seaplane with a boat hull. It was powered by a 100 HP Curtiss OXX 8-cylinder V-engine with a pusher propeller . In addition, it was the first aircraft to use a gyro-stabilized course determination device made by the Sperry company.
The flying boat immediately aroused the interest of the US Navy , with the first five machines initially bearing the serial numbers, equivalent to the type designation "C-1" to "C-5", then "AB-1" to "AB-5". After the introduction of the Bureau Number , which separated the type designation and serial number, all Curtiss F had serial numbers according to the new system, starting with "BuNo A-10" to "BuNo A-14". The US Navy mostly used the machine as a training aircraft . The flight instructor and the student pilot sat next to each other. The first machines arrived at the US Navy on November 30, 1912.
On December 17, 1912, Lieutenant Ellyson made the world's first catapult launch at the Washington Navy Yard . In early 1913, the US Navy carried out flight tests in Guantánamo Bay , Cuba . The tests included dropping bombs, laying mines, searching for submarines, and aerial photography. On January 20, 1914, a US Navy flight school was opened in Pensacola , Florida .
First use of a flying boat against Mexico
On April 9, 1914, a group of American sailors was detained in Tampico , Mexico . Shortly after the Tampico Affair on April 21, the Mexican city was Veracruz by US troops occupied . On April 25, Lieutenant Junior Grade PNL Bellinger flew the "AB-3" on an observation flight over Veracruz to discover mines in the port. The port was photographed from the air on April 28th. The occupation of Veracruz ended on November 23, 1914.
Working time
On November 5, 1915, the first aircraft catapult launch took place from a ship. Lieutenant Commander HC Mustin took off with the "AB-2" from the USS North Carolina in Pensacola Bay. On July 12, 1916, the last test flight with the "AB-3" by Lieutenant G. de C. Chevalier took place. The USS North Carolina was the first US ship to be equipped with an airplane.
The Curtiss F was used for training purposes, the US Navy ordered more than 144 copies. In 1917 the Aeromarine 39A was built , a conversion of the Curtiss F to an amphibious aircraft . The Aeromarine 39A had a Hall-Scott A-7A engine 100 hp and a larger wingspan.
After the USA entered World War I in April 1917 , the Curtiss F flying boats were also used to monitor coastal waters against German submarines.
From 1918 the US Coast Guard also used Curtiss F flying boats as training aircraft. In the same year the construction of the successor to the Curtiss MF began . During the war, 22 machines of this type were built and after the war another 80 were built by the Naval Aircraft Factory. A number of machines were also used for civilian purposes.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Curtiss F dates (1917) |
|---|---|
| crew | Flight instructor and student pilot |
| length | 8.45 m |
| span | 13.74 m |
| height | 3.42 m |
| Empty mass | 843 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 1116 kg |
| drive | an 8-cylinder V-engine Curtiss OXX -3, 100 PS (74 kW) |
| Top speed | 111 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 1371 m |
| Flight duration | 5.5 h |
Web links
- www.history.navy.mil PDF Curtiss F (1.11 MB)
- www.history.navy.mil PDF Curtiss F in WWI (1.15 MB)
literature
- Peter M. Bowers : Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947 , Putnam, 1979, ISBN 0-370-10029-8 , pp. 53-56.
Individual evidence
- ^ "Curtiss F" Description from February 28, 1914 on flightglobal.com
- ^ John M. Andrade: US Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909 , p. 25