Curtiss JN-4
| Curtiss JN-4 Jenny | |
|---|---|
 Curtiss JN-4 |
|
| Type: | Trainer aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1915 |
| Commissioning: |
July 1915 |
| Production time: |
1915 to 1926 |
| Number of pieces: |
6,813 |
The Curtiss JN-4 Jenny is a biplane , which was developed shortly before the First World War by the American Glenn Curtiss and was used as a training aircraft during the war . It was the first mass-produced and large-numbered aircraft in the USA , although it had no special technological features.
history
The development of the Curtis JN-4 was based on the problem that more pilots were killed during training (around 8,000) than during actual combat operations (around 6,000). Therefore, the need for a good-natured training aircraft that had extremely slow flight characteristics was great. The landing speed was only around 60 km / h, which drastically increased the student pilots' chances of survival. By the time Curtiss had developed several designs, the war in Europe was already in full swing. The Royal Flying Corps was its first major customer, and that order fueled the Jenny's popularity as a training aircraft. It was not fast or agile enough to be used as a combat aircraft. However, from the US entry into the war in April 1917, around 95% of all US and Canadian pilots were trained on it.
A total of 6,813 machines were built. In 1926 production had to be stopped for reasons of flight safety.
After the First World War, many machines were sold on the civilian market. She was z. B. Charles Lindbergh and Carl Ben Eielson's first airplane . The low speed and high stability made them ideal for stunt and aerobatics performances, which, in conjunction with the many unemployed fighter pilots, led to a boom in spectacular flight displays after the First World War. Some still flew in the 1930s.
properties
The Jenny was big and slow, her controls reacted very slowly. The pre-flight inspection had to be detailed, it was checked that all wires, struts, fabrics and various other parts were properly attached. Even on colder days you could just move a Jenny to a maximum climb of 122 meters per minute.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data of the JN-4 |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 8.3 m |
| span | 13.35 m |
| Empty mass | 662.25 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 871 kg |
| Top speed | 121 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 3353 m |
| Range | 257 km |
| Engine | a Curtiss OX-5 with 90 PS (66 kW) |
| Amount of fuel | 79 l |
"Inverted Jenny" stamp
Inverted Jenny is the name of a misprint on a US postage stamp from 1918, which made the Jenny known to aviation enthusiasts.
See also
Web links
- Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" on the US Centennial of Flight Commission website
- Curtiss JN-4D in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio