Curtiss-Wright CW-19

CR-2, CW-19, and CW-23
Curtiss-Wright CW-19 Coupe
Role Civil utility aircraft
Manufacturer Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Company, Curtiss-Wright
Designer Don Berlin, Carl Scott, George Page
First flight 1935
Primary users Chinese Air Force
Cuban Air Force
Number built Approximately 30


The Curtiss-Wright CW-19 was a civil utility aircraft designed in the United States in the mid-1930s and built in small quantities in a number of variants including the CW-23 military trainer prototype.

Design and development

Originally conceived as the Curtiss-Robertson CR-2 Coupe shortly before the Curtiss-Wright merger and the dropping of the Curtiss-Robertson brand, it was an all-metal, low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration with fixed tailwheel undercarriage and side-by-side seating for two. A prominent feature on all versions other than the original CR-2 prototypes was the large "trouser"-style wheel spats. While the design was never perfected for the civil market, it was originally intended for, a militarized version was soon developed that replaced the side-by-side cabin with tandem seating and added provision for guns and bombs.

Operational history

Curtiss-Wright hoped that in this form, it could be sold on the export market as a ground-attack machine. Orders, however, were disappointing, with only 20 purchased by the Chinese Air Force, and three by the Cuban Air Force. An unarmed trainer version was also developed and offered to the USAAC, but no orders were placed.

In a final attempt to find a market for the design, engine power was increased from 450 hp (340 kW) to 600 hp (450 kW), and retractable undercarriage was fitted. In this form, designated CW-23, the aircraft was offered once again to the USAAC, this time as an advanced trainer, but once again, the service was not interested. The CW-19 did, however, form the basis of the far more successful CW-21 and CW-22 designs.

Variants

Operators

Survivors

A surviving CW-19 being trailered for the trip from California to Florida.

Specifications (CW-19R)

Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947 [7]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss-Wright CW-19.

Notes

  1. Hagedorn, Dan. "The Curtiss-Wright 19R All Metal Light-Combat Aircraft." Skyways, October 1995.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hagedorn 1992, p.76.
  3. Bowers 1979, p. 411.
  4. Sport Aviation Magazine March, 1996
  5. "Fantasy of Flight's Facebook Page". Fantasy of Flight. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  6. "Fantasy of Flight's Facebook Page". Fantasy of Flight. 2014-02-11. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
  7. Bowers 1979, p. 413.

Bibliography

  • Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
  • Hagedorn, Dan. "Curtiss Types in Latin America". Air Enthusiast, Issue Forty-Five, March–May 1992, pp. 61–77. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989, p. 288.
  • World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 891 Sheet 55.


See also


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, January 27, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.