Curtiss R3C

Curtiss R3C

Curtiss R3C-2
Role	Racing aircraft
Manufacturer	Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
First flight	18 September 1925
Introduction	1925
Primary users	US Navy US Army
Number built	3
Developed from	Curtiss R2C

The Curtiss R3C was an American racing aircraft built in landplane and floatplane form. It was a single-seat biplane built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company.

The R3C-1^[1] was the landplane version and Cyrus Bettis won the Pulitzer Trophy Race in one on 12 October 1925 with a speed of 248.9 mph (406.5 km/h).

The R3C-2 was a twin float seaplane built for the Schneider Trophy race. In 1925, it took place at Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore, Maryland. With 232.57 mph (374.274 km/h), pilot Jimmy Doolittle won the trophy with a Curtiss R3C-2. The other two R3C-2s, piloted by George Cuddihy and Ralph Oftsie, did not reach the finish line. The next day, with the same plane on a straight course, Doolittle reached 245.7 mph (395.4 km/h), a new world record. For the next Schneider Trophy, which took place on 13 November 1926, the R3C-2's engine was further improved, and pilot Christian Franck Schilt won second place with 231.364 mph (372.34 km/h).

Operators

Surviving R3C-2 is displayed at the NASM near Washington

United States

United States Navy - two examples
United States Army Air Service - one example

Survivors

The R3C-2 that Jimmy Doolitle piloted to victory in the 1925 Schneider Trophy race is preserved at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre, at Washington Dulles Airport, Virginia. It still wears its '3' 1925 racing number.

Specifications (R3C-2)

An R3C-2 at the Naval Aircraft Factory in 1926.

Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: one
Length: 22 ft (6.71 m)
Wingspan: 22.0 ft (6.71 m)
Height: 10 ft 4 in (3.14 m)
Wing area: 144 sq ft (13.4m²)
Airfoil: Curtiss C-80
Empty weight: 2,135 lb (968 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 2,738 lb (1,242 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss V-1400, 565 hp (421 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 245 mph (213 knots, 394 km/h)
Range: 290 mi (252 nmi, 467 km)

In culture

A Curtiss R3C appears in Hayao Miyazaki's Porco Rosso animated movie featuring a romanticized interwar aviation. The Curtiss R3C is flown by a pilot himself named Curtiss. The dialogues also reference the 1925 Schneider Trophy.

References

↑ Also given the "paper" designation F3C as fighters in the US Navy designation system: Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.127.
↑ Bowers 1979, p.237

Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London:Willow Books, 1984. ISBN 0-00-218148-7.
Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947. London:Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
Swanborough, Gordon and Bowers, Peter M. United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. London:Putnam, 1976. ISBN 0-370-10054-9.
The Golden Age of Aviation – Curtiss R3C-2
Pulitzer Trophy web site
Schneider Trophy 1925 web site (french)
German edition “Flugzeuge”, Enzo Angelucci, 1974 ISBN 3-8068-4024-5
results of the Schneider Trophy from the Society of Air Racing Historians

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss R3C.

Aircraft produced by Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright

Manufacturer
designations

Early types	Golden Flier Reims Racer Hudson Flyer Gordon Bennett Monoplane Beachey Special

Model letters	C D E F FL G GS H HA J K L M MF N NC O JN R S T

Model numbers	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27¹ 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45¹ 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59A/59B 60 61 62 63 64 65¹ 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74¹ 75 76 77 78¹ 79 80¹ 81 82 83¹ 84 85 86 87 88 89¹ 90 91 92¹ 93¹ 94 95 96 97 98 99

"CA" series	CA-1

"CW" series	CW-1 CW-2 CW-3 CW-4 CW-5 CW-6 CW-7 CW-8 CW-9 CW-10 CW-11 CW-12 CW-14 CW-15 CW-16 CW-17 CW-18 CW-19 CW-20 CW-21 CW-22 CW-23 CW-24 CW-25 CW-27 CW-29 CW-32

"X" series	X-100 X-200

Operator & role

Civil

Experimental	No. 1 Model C Tanager

Racers & record	No. 2 Cox Racer

Airliners	Eagle Condor 18 Condor II Kingbird Thrush Commando

Utility	Model D Model E Model F Carrier Pigeon Falcon Robin Lark 6B CW-10 CW-12 CW-15 Sedan CW-16 CW-19W

Army

Ground attack	A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-8 YA-10 A-12 YA-14 A-18 A-25 A-40 XA-43

Bombers	NBS-1 B-2 XNBS-4

Transports	XC-10 C-30 Condor C-46 Commando C-55 Commando C-76 C-113 Commando

Fighters	S 18 PN-1 PW-8 P-1 to P-6 XP-10 P-11 P-14² P-17 XP-18² XP-19² YP-20 XP-21 XP-22 XP-23 XP-31 P-36 P-37 P-40 XP-42 XP-46 XP-53 XP-55 YP-60 XP-62 XP-71 XP-87

Observation	O-1 O-11 O-12 O-13 O-16 O-18 XO-24² O-26 XO-30² O-39 O-40 O-52

Racers	R-6 R-8

Trainers	J L JN Fledgling AT-4 Hawk AT-5 Hawk BT-4 AT-9 Jeep

Experimental	X-19

Licensed	USAO-1 NBS-1/model 30

Navy

Bombers	CT BFC BF2C SBC SB2C XSB3C² XBTC XBT2C

Fighters	HA GS TS-1 FC F2C F3C F4C F5C¹ F6C F7C F8C F9C F10C F11C XF12C F13C XF14C XF15C

Observation/scout	CS/SC S2C XS3C S4C SC OC O2C O3C SOC SO2C SO3C

Trainers	N-9 N2C CW-16 SNC

Transports	RC R4C R5C

Maritime patrol	H-16 F5L HS-1L & HS-2L

Racers & record	NC CR R2C R3C

Export

Bombers	Canada CW-14 Osprey

Martime patrol	H-2, H-4, H-8 & H-16 F5L HS-2L

Fighters	CW-17² CW-21 Demon

Trainers	Canuck CW-14 Osprey CW-16 CW-22

¹ Designation skipped ² Not built

USN racing aircraft designations

Bee Line	BR

Curtiss	CR R2C R3C

United States Navy fighter designations pre-1962

General Aviation Brewster	FA FA² F2A F3A

Boeing	FB F2B F3B F4B F5B F6B F7B F8B

Curtiss	CF F2C F3C F4C F5C¹ F6C F7C F8C F9C F10C F11C F12C F13C F14C F15C

Douglas McDonnell	XFD F2D² F3D F4D F5D F6D FD F2D to "H"

Grumman	FF F2F F3F F4F F5F F6F F7F F8F F9F-1 to -5 F9F-6 to -8 F10F F11F F12F

Eberhart Goodyear	FG F2G FG F2G

Hall McDonnell	FH FH F2H F3H F4H

Berliner-Joyce North American	FJ F2J F3J FJ-1 FJ-2/3 FJ-4

Loening Bell	FL FL YF2L-1 F2L-1K F3L

General Motors	FM F2M F3M

Naval Aircraft Factory	FN

Lockheed	FO (I) FO (II)

Ryan	FR F2R F3R

Supermarine	FS

Northrop	FT F2T

Vought	FU F2U F3U F4U F5U F6U F7U F8U F8U-3

Lockheed	FV

Wright CC&F	WP F2W F3W FW² F2W² F3W² F4W

Convair	FY F2Y

¹ Not assigned • ² Assigned to a different manufacturer's type See also: Aeromarine AS • Vought VE-7

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