Travel Air 2000

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Travel Air 2000
Curtiss Wright Travel Air E4000
Type:
Design country:

United StatesUnited States United States

Manufacturer:

Travel Air Manufacturing Company

First flight:

March 13, 1925

Commissioning:

1925

Production time:

1925 to 1930

Number of pieces:

around 1,300

The Travel Air 2000/3000/4000 (originally named Model A , Model B and Model BH and later marketed by Curtiss-Wright under the names CW-14 , Speedwing , Sportsman and Osprey ) were biplane with an open cockpit . They were built by the Travel Air Manufacturing Company in the late 1920s . Between 1924 and 1929, Travel Air produced more aircraft than any other US manufacturer - including over 1,000 (some sources speak of 1,200 to 2,000) double-deckers.

History and construction

Initial development

The original Model A was designed by Lloyd Stearman with the participation of Walter Beech , Clyde Cessna , and Bill Snook . For the most part, it was a metal frame version of the New Swallow he had previously constructed with elements of the German Fokker D.VII , the best fighter aircraft of the First World War . Most of the subsequent Travel Air double-deckers were derived directly or indirectly from Model A.

All models are conventional biplanes with staggered wings and N-shaped struts. The fuselage consists of fabric-covered steel tubes and has two open cockpits arranged one behind the other . The front cockpit offers two passenger seats arranged side by side.

As with the Fokker D.VII, the rudder and the ailerons have an overhanging "horn" to partially compensate for the aerodynamic resistance of the deflected rudders and thus make the aircraft more responsive. This horn gives the rudder the shape of an elephant's ear. As a result, the planes were nicknamed "Old Elephant Ears" and "Wichita Fokker".

Some of the successor models were constructed without these counterweights and thus offered a smoother, more conventional exterior and less air resistance. The elevator trim could be adjusted during the flight.

Like other Travel Air aircraft, the series was available with various interchangeable wings. One of them, called “Speedwing”, was shorter and thinner to increase cruising speed. Travel Air reported a specially modified Model 4000 named 4000-T for the Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Competition 1930, but was disqualified.

Compared to other civilian open-cockpit biplanes from the period, Travel Air's aircraft were known for the quality of their construction, their reliability, their durability, their speed, their efficiency and their loading and passenger capacity. Like almost all American double-deckers of that time, which were not built exclusively for training purposes, Travel Air was able to accommodate two passengers in addition to the pilot. Furthermore, the machines were known for their superior comfort and good-natured flight characteristics. These characteristics meant that the aircraft sold better than those of the competition.

Steam plane

In 1933 George and William Besler exchanged the engine of a Travel Air 2000 for a self-developed, oil-fired, two-cylinder composite steam engine . The Besler brothers' steam plane was the first airplane powered by a steam engine to fly successfully. In 1937 the brothers sold the aircraft to Japan .

Production by Curtiss-Wright

After Curtiss-Wright bought the Travel Air Manufacturing Company in August 1929, production of the Model 4000 continued until the early 1930s under the designation CW-14 and supplemented by a military version called the Osprey. The Osprey was equipped with bomb mounts , a fixed machine gun in the front and a movable machine gun in the rear. These aircraft were delivered to Bolivia , among others , and used in the Chaco War, which eventually led to the prosecution of Curtiss-Wright for violating a United States arms embargo .

Versions

Model B.
Model A with a Wright J-6 engine

As with other Travel Air machines, the versions of the Model 4000 were distinguished by preceding (occasionally trailing) letters. The letters were:

Travel Air 2000 with Curtiss OX-5 ready to fly at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum in Dauster Field, Creve Coeur, Missouri, June 2006
Travel Air 3000
Travel Air 4000 in the Fantasy of Flight museum
Travel Air E-4000
A.
Wing with "elephant-ear" ailerons
A.
Axelson engine
B.
Wing with frize ailerons and three fuel tanks
C.
Curtiss engine
D.
"Speedwing"
E.
Revised wings with a fuel tank
K
Kinner engine
L.
Lycoming engine
Travel Air 2000
First model
SC-2000
Powered by a Curtiss C-6 with 160 PS (118 kW)
Travel Air 3000
Driven by a Hispano-Suiza engine with 150 PS (110 kW) or 180 PS (132 kW)
A-4000
Driven by an Axelson engine with 150 PS (110 kW)
B-4000
Powered by a Wright J-5 with 220 hp (162 kW)
BC-4000
Seaplane
B9-4000
Powered by a Wright J-6 -9 with 300 hp (221 kW)
C-4000
Powered by a Challenger engine with 170 hp (125 kW)
E-4000
Powered by a Wright J-6-5 with 165 hp (121 kW)
K-4000
Powered by a Kinner K-5 with 100 HP (74 kW)
SBC-4000
Seaplane
W-4000
Powered by a Warner Scarab with 110 PS (81 kW)

Curtiss-Wright models

CW-14C Sportsman
Powered by a Curtiss R-600 with 185 hp (136 kW); a built copy
CW-A14D Deluxe Sportsman
Three-seater version; powered by a Wright J-6 -7 with 240 hp (177 kW); NACA hood ; five copies built
CW-B14B Speedwing Deluxe
Powered by a version with Wright J-6-9 with 300 hp (221 kW); two built copies
CW-B14R Special Speedwing Deluxe
Single seat racing aircraft ; built for Casey Lambert ; powered by a supercharged Wright R-975 ; a built copy
CW-C14B Osprey
Military version; powered by a Wright R-975E
CW-C14R Osprey
Military version; powered by a Wright J-6-9
CW-17R Pursuit Osprey
CW-B14B with a more powerful engine; probably not built

use

Civil use

During the 1920s and early 1930s, with the controversial exception of its main competitor Waco , Travel Air biplanes were the most widely used civil biplanes in the United States - not counting the surplus and civilly used military training aircraft from the war. The production of travel-air aircraft was discontinued by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in the mid-1930s .

Initially, the double-deckers were used for business trips, by wealthy sports pilots, as air taxis and for charter flights , for light air freight and occasionally as a bush plane . Many were used in barnstorming , paid excursions, and the first ever airplane races.

Commercial operators valued Travel Air's double-deckers for their high payload, their simple and reliable technology, their robust construction and, for their time, high speed and efficiency.

After the end of their production time, from the late 1930s to the early 1970s, the machines were often used in heavy use in bush and agricultural aviation . Travel Air aircraft, along with the Stearman Kaydet biplanes from World War II , were among the most commonly used agricultural aircraft in the United States.

The specimens still preserved today have been carefully restored at considerable expense and are occasionally used for sightseeing flights and barnstorming.

Military use

The Osprey, a Curtiss-Wright-built version armed with bomb suspensions and machine guns, was shipped to Bolivia and used in the 1933 Chaco War against Paraguay . Many of the manufacturers at that time tried to get their aircraft into the war for publicity purposes. The Osprey initially benefited the most in this competition. Equipped with a fixed machine gun in the front and a movable rear, as well as bomb mounts, the robust, reliable Ospreys were the most popular of all aircraft used by Bolivian pilots. The heavy missions led to high losses. Half of the twelve copies were destroyed in accidents or in combat. Nevertheless, Curtiss-Wright's war effort brought a high level of awareness and a good reputation.

BoliviaBolivia Bolivia
Twenty copies from 1933 to 1934
ColombiaColombia Colombia
Three copies from 1932
EcuadorEcuador Ecuador
Two CW-14Rs 1931
PanamaPanama Panama
Two copies 1931
El SalvadorEl Salvador El Salvador
Three copies from 1933
VenezuelaVenezuela Venezuela
Three CW-14Rs 1932

Movies

Travel-Air double-deckers were often used in war films in the 1920s and 1930s . Mainly they were used to represent the German Fokker D.VII . In the film industry , the planes were therefore known as "Wichita Fokkers". In fact, the demand for these aircraft was so high in Hollywood that California sales representative Fred Hoyt persuaded Travel Air co-founder Lloyd Stearman to come to Venice in 1926 to see the needs of the film industry himself. The two then founded the short-lived, independent Stearman Aircraft Company , which was later revived in Wichita in 1927.

The films that feature Travel Air double-deckers (especially the 2000 and 4000 models) include, among others

Technical data (CW-A14D)

Parameter Data
crew 1
Passengers 2
length 7.19 m
span 9.45 m
height 3.0 m
Wing area 23 m²
Empty mass 804 kg
Max. Takeoff mass 1,302 kg
Cruising speed 115 kn (213 km / h)
Top speed 135 kn (250 km / h)
Service ceiling 18,000 ft (5,486 m)
Range 460 NM (852 km)
Engine Wright J-6 with 250 PS (184 kW)

Preserved copies

Exhibits

Copies are exhibited in the following museums, among others.

Airworthy specimens

Some copies took part in the National Air Tour in 2003 and in the American Barnstormers Tour in 2008 .

Another Travel Air 2000, which had been in storage since 1937, was restored and flown in 2014.

An airworthy Travel Air 4000 is regularly demonstrated by the flight captain of Northwest Airlines Clay Adams at air shows and fly-ins. Adams also offers flights. Along with other Travel Air biplanes, the Adams 4000 took part in the 2003 National Air Tour and the 2006 and 2008 American Barnstormers Tour organized by Adams. In 2003 he flew for the TV documentary The Barnstormers.

Another airworthy Travel Air 4000 is in the collection of the Fantasy of Flight Museum in Polk City , Florida . In 1997 the machine was used by the United States Postal Service to commemorate the first issue of a series of aircraft postage stamps. With the local postmaster on board, the owner of the machine, Kermit Weeks, delivered the first and probably last airmail in the history of Polk City.

literature

  • Edward H. Phillips: Travel Air: Wings Over the Prairie . Wind Canyon Books, 1982, ISBN 978-0-911139-17-4 (English).
  • Peter M. Bowers: Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947 . Putnam, London 1979, ISBN 0-370-10029-8 (English).
  • Bob Ogden: Aviation Museums and Collections of North America . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2007, ISBN 0-85130-385-4 (English).
  • Rod Simpson: Airlife's World Aircraft . Airlife Publishing Ltd, Shrewsbury 2001, ISBN 1-84037-115-3 (English).

Web links

Commons : Travel Air 2000  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d Rod Simpson: Airlife's World Aircraft . Airlife Publishing Ltd., Shrewsbury 2001, ISBN 1-84037-115-3 , pp. 553 (English).
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Edward H. Phillips: Travel Air: Wings Over the Prairie . Wind Canyon Books, 1982, ISBN 978-0-911139-17-4 (English).
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Edward H. Phillips: An Abridged History of Travel Air . 2000 (English).
  4. ↑ a b c d e f Bruce Bissionette: The Wichita 4: Cessna, Moellendick, Beech and Stearman . Aviation Heritage, Destin, Florida 1999, ISBN 0-943691-50-8 (English).
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g Stephan Wilkinson: 'Wichita Fokker' Takes Flight. Historynet, February 28, 2014, accessed May 20, 2018 .
  6. ^ A b c Ann Lewis Cooper, Sharon Rajnus: Stars of the Sky, Legends All . Zenith Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7603-3374-7 (English).
  7. ↑ 1929 Travel Air 4000. Fantasy of Flight Museum, accessed on May 20, 2018 (English).
  8. ^ A b c Dan Hagedorn and Antonio L. Sapienza: Aircraft of the Chaco War 1928–1935 . Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, Pennsylvania 1997 (English).
  9. ^ HJ Fitzgerald: World's First Steam-Driven Airplane . In: Popular Science . Volume 123, No. 1 , July 1933, p. 9 ff . (English, google.com ).
  10. ↑ George & William Besler. (May 20, 2018). The Besler Steam Plane  [YouTube]. Bomberguy.
  11. ^ Where have all the Dobles gone . In: The Steam Automobile . Volume 7, No. 1 , 1965, p. 23 (English).
  12. ↑ a b Book Review: Aircraft of the Chaco War 1928-1935. Historynet, August 11, 2001, accessed May 20, 2018 .
  13. ^ A b Anthony J. Colangelo: Constitutional Limits on Extraterritorial Jurisdiction: Terrorism and the Intersection of National and International Law . In: Harvard International Law Journal . Volume 48, No. 1 , 2007 (English, harvardilj.org [PDF]).
  14. ^ A b c Peter M. Bowers: Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947 . Putnam, London 1979, ISBN 0-370-10029-8 (English).
  15. ^ The Travel Air 4000 - A working AG plane. California Agriculture Museum, May 9, 2014, accessed May 21, 2018 .
  16. ↑ Travel Air 4000 1928-1936. Delta Flight Museum, accessed May 21, 2018 .
  17. ↑ a b c d 1929 Travel Air 4000. Fantasy of Flight, accessed on May 21, 2018 (English).
  18. ↑ a b c d e f Dan Hagedorn: Curtiss Types in Latin America . In: Air Enthusiast . Issue 45, 1992, ISSN  0143-5450 , p. 61 to 77 (English).
  19. ^ A b Richard Harris: Wichita Aircraft in TV, Video & Film. The Wichita Aviation Centennial, accessed May 21, 2018 .
  20. ^ Aviation Films. Aerofiles, accessed on May 21, 2018 .
  21. ↑ Specifications of American Airplanes . In: Aviation Magazine . Volume 35, No. 3 , 1936, pp. 82 to 85 (English).
  22. ^ Bob Ogden: Aviation Museums and Collections of North America . Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2007, ISBN 0-85130-385-4 , pp. 541 (English).
  23. ↑ a b Sparky Barnes Sargent: Back to Blakesburg. General Aviation News, October 6, 2013, accessed May 21, 2018 .
  24. ↑ a b The National Air Tour 2003: A Great Experience for Everyone! National Air Tour, accessed May 21, 2018 .
  25. ↑ Meg Godlewski: Relive the Golden Age of Aviation: You, too, can be a barnstormer-or just fly with one. General Aviation News, February 16, 2007, accessed May 21, 2018 .