Curtiss-Wright
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) was once a leading aircraft manufacturer of the United States, but has since become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, controls, valves, and metal treatment.
Curtiss-Wright came into existence 5 July 1929, the result of a merger of 12 different companies associated with Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company and Wright Aeronautical and was located in Buffalo, New York. With $75 million in capital, it was the largest aviation company in the country. After the historic battles between the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss, the merger was to say the least ironic.
In 1937 the company developed the P-36 fighter aircraft, selling them both to the US and to many foreign countries, where they were successfully used in the early days of World War II.
Its most visible success came with the P-40 fighter, variously known as Tomahawk, Kittyhawk, and Warhawk, of which nearly 14,000 were built between 1940 and 1944. The C-46 Commando cargo plane could carry more cargo over the Himalayas than any other Allied aircraft. Overall, the company produced over 29,000 aircraft during the war.
Curtiss-Wright failed to make the transition to design and production of jet aircraft, despite several attempts. The final nail in the coffin was the choice of the Northrop F-89 Scorpion over the XF-87 Blackhawk; after the F-87 was cancelled 10 October 1948, Curtiss-Wright shut down its entire Aeroplane Division and sold the assets to North American Aviation.
After the Government gave the development of the Whittle jet engine to GE, the company concentrated on reciprocating engines and propeller production for military transport and civilian airliners. With the approaching twilight of the big piston aircraft engine, Curtiss-Wright needed new design inspiration. For a brief time, Curtiss-Wright licensed rights to the Wankel rotary engine from NSU in 1958 as a possible aircraft powerplant, but also as an automobile engine intended for the AMC Pacer. For this major innovative engineering project, Curtiss-Wright relied extensively on the design leadership of NSU-Wankel engineer Max Bentele. Design difficulties were challenging, and eventually the Wankel project was shelved.
The overall decline of the corporation from US$2 billion in 1945 to US$200 million in 1980 caused the company to become a study in business management classes.
The shift of civilian aircraft to jets which the company predicted would not happen as late as 1952 when it had designed a propeller for the B-52 bomber (originally designed as a turboprop) left the them with little of its old business, and during the 1960s it shifted to components for aircraft and other types of equipment, such as nuclear submarines, a business that was still being conducted in 2005.
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[edit] United States v. Curtiss-Wright
In 1936 the Curtiss-Wright Corporation was charged with illegally sending arms of war to Bolivia.[1] Bolivia and Paraguay were then involved in the Chaco War that lasted from 1932-1935.[2] It has been noted that during this time Curtiss-Wright, with the export of bombers to Bolivia, was provided with nearly two-thirds of its foreign sales in 1933.[3]
The president of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had issued a Joint Resolution of Congress which had been approved in May 28, 1934. The proclamation stated that it was illegal to sell arms or munitions of war to countries engaged in armed conflict.[1] The company challenged the validity of this proclamation as exceeding the legislative powers delegated to the president and that it was therefore unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of the United States, in United States v. Curtiss-Wright, held that "there is sufficient warrant for the broad discretion vested in the President to determine whether the enforcement of the statute will have a beneficial effect upon the reestablishment of peace in the affected countries."[1]
The company lost the case when the court held that the president was properly vested with the legislative power to make such a proclamation.
[edit] Studebaker-Packard Corporation
In 1956, financially strapped automaker Studebaker-Packard Corporation entered into a management agreement with Curtiss-Wright as a means by which the nations fifth largest automobile manufacturer could avoid declaring insolvency. The relationship lasted until 1959 at which time Curtiss-Wright withdrew from the agreement.
[edit] Aircraft engines
- Wright Whirlwind
- R-1300 Cyclone 7
- R-1820 Cyclone 9
- R-2600 Cyclone 14 (Twin Cyclone)
- R-3350 Cyclone 18 (Duplex Cyclone)
- R-2160 Tornado
- Wright J65 a license-built version of the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire
- Wright J67 a license-built version of the Bristol Olympus
[edit] Propellers
- As well as manufacturing engines a range of electrically actuated Constant speed three and four bladed propellers were manufactured under the name Curtiss-Electric. [4]
Some Aircraft types using Curtiss Electric propeller units:
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c United States v. Curtiss-Wright, 299 U.S. 304 (1936).
- ^ Janis, M & Noyes, J., International Law, Cases and Commentaries, 3rd Ed. P. 213 (2006).
- ^ Divine, Robert. "The Case of the Smuggled Bombers," Quarrels That Have Shaped the Constitution, 210, 213-14 (John A. Garraty ed. 1964)
- ^ Curtiss Electric Propeller
[edit] Bibliography
- Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
- Eltscher, Louis R. and Young, Edward M. Curtiss-Wright – Greatness and Decline. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1998. ISBN 0-80579-829-3.
[edit] External links
- Curtiss-Wright website
- Curtiss-Wright Controls website
- Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing website
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Video of Curtiss JN-4H "Jenny" flying - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQw84Q7DIx0
