Travel Air 4000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 4000, CW-14, Sportsman, Osprey | |
|---|---|
| Type | Sports aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Travel Air, Curtiss-Wright |
| Designed by | Lloyd Stearman |
The Travel Air 4000 (originally, the Model B, later marketed as a Curtiss-Wright product under the names CW-14, Speedwing, Sportsman and Osprey) was a sports aircraft produced in the United States in the 1920s and 30s. Sharing its structure with the Travel Air 2000 and 3000, it was a conventional single-bay biplane with staggered wings braced by N-struts. The fuselage was of fabric-covered steel tube and included two open cockpits in tandem, the forward of which could carry two passengers side-by-side. Like other aircraft in the Travel Air line, it was available with a variety of different, interchangeable wings, including a wing shorter and thinner than the rest known as the "Speedwing" designed, as the name suggests, for increased performance. Travel Air entered a specially-modified Model 4000 (designated 4000-T) in the Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Competition of 1930, but it was disqualified.
Following Travel Air's purchase by Curtiss-Wright, the Model 4000 continued in production into the early 1930s as the CW-14, and the range was expanded to include a military derivative dubbed the Osprey. This was fitted with bomb racks, a fixed, forward-firing machine gun, and a trainable tail gun. These aircraft were supplied to Bolivia and used during the Gran Chaco War, which eventually led to Curtiss-Wright's successful prosecution for supplying these aircraft in violation of a U.S. arms embargo.
In 2007, a small number of Travel Air 4000s remain flying along with numerous examples in museums. Preverved examples include those at the National Air and Space Museum, the EAA AirVenture Museum, the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, and the Virginia Aviation Museum.
[edit] Variants
- Model B - Travel Air Model A fitted with Wright J-6 engine
Like other Travel Air aircraft, Model 4000 variants were distinguished by letters prefixed (or occasionally affixed) to the basic designation to denote different engine and wing fits. These letter codes included:
- A - original wing with "elephant-ear" ailerons
- A - Axelson engine
- B - "standard wing" with Frise-type ailerons and three fuel tanks
- C - Curtiss engine
- D - "speedwing"
- E - revised "standard wing" with a single fuel tank
- K - Kinner engine
- L - Lycoming engine
- W - Warner engine
Curtiss-Wright models included:
- CW-14C Sportsman - version with Curtiss Challenger engine (1 built)
- CW-A14D Deluxe Sportsman - three-seat version with Wright J-6 engine and NACA cowling (5 built)
- CW-B14B Speedwing Deluxe - version with Wright J-6 engine (2 built)
- CW-B14R Special Speedwing Deluxe - single-seat racer built for Casey Lambert with supercharged Wright R-975 engine (1 built)
- CW-C14B Osprey - militarized version with Wright R-975E engine
- CW-C14R Osprey - militarized version with Wright J-6-9 engine
- CW-17R Pursuit Osprey - CW-B14B with uprated engine; possibly not built
[edit] Specifications (CW-A14D)
General characteristics
- Crew: One pilot
- Capacity: 2 passengers
- Length: 23 ft 7 in (7.17 m)
- Wingspan: 31 ft 0 in (9.44 m)
- Height: 9 ft 2 in (2.78 m)
- Wing area: 248 ft² (23.0 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,772 lb (804 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,870 lb (1,302 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright J-6-7, 240 hp (180 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 155 mph (249 km/h)
- Range: 600 miles (966 km)
- Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,880 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 288.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 891 Sheet 54.
- NASM website
- AirVenture Museum website
- Virginia Aviation Museum website
[edit] See also
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