Curtiss CR

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The Curtiss CR was a racing aircraft designed for the United States Navy in 1921. It was a conventional single-seater biplane with a monocoque fuselage and staggered single-bay wings of equal span braced with N-struts. Two essentially similar landplane versions were built as the CR-1 and CR-2, which were both eventually converted to seaplanes as the CR-3 in 1923 and CR-4 in 1924. A refined version was developed for the US Army Air Service under the designation R-6. These latter two aircraft featured refined aerodynamics included surface-mounted radiators.

Operational history

An Army Curtiss R-6, which won the 1922 Pulitzer Trophy with an average speed of 330 km/h.

The Curtiss CRs enjoyed successful racing careers. Their first major win was at the 1921 Pulitzer Trophy race, where piloted by Bert Acosta the CR-1 took first place with an average speed of 176.75 mph (283.49 km/h), nearly two minutes ahead of its closest rival. The following year, this aircraft was modified and redesignated CR-2 and joined in the Pulitzer race by a second aircraft built to the same new standard, plus two R-6s flown by Army pilots. These Curtiss aircraft took first through fourth place, the two R-6s followed by the two CR-2s. The race was won by Lt. Russell Maughan with an average speed of 205.856 mph (330,172 km/h) with Lt. Lester Maitland in second place (198.850 mph/318.936 km/h). Maughan's effort incidentally broke every closed-circuit airspeed record up to 124 mi (200 km). The CR-2s took third and fourth places piloted by Lt Harold Brow (average speed 193.695 mph/310.667 km/h) and Lt Jg Al Williams (average speed 187.996 mph/301.527 km/h).

The Army built upon this success with the R-6s by using the aircraft to break the world airspeed record before 1922 was out, Gen William Mitchell flying one to 224.28 mph (359.72 km/h) on 18 October. In March the following year, an R-6 flown by Lt. Maughan lifted the record to 236.587 mph (380.74 km/h). The R-6 design was developed in 1923 into the longed-winged XPW-8, the prototype of the PW-8 fighter.

In 1923, the CR-2s were fitted with floats for the Schneider Trophy race and redesignated CR-3. The aircraft took first and second place, piloted by David Rittenhouse (average speed 177.977 mph, 285.457 km/h) and Rutledge Irvine (173.932 mph, 278.970 km/h). Following this victory, one of the aircraft was further modified as the CR-4 for an attempt on the world airspeed record for seaplanes. It achieved this in 1924 with a speed of 188 mph.^{[citation needed]}

Operators

United States

United States Navy (CR)
United States Army (R6)

Specifications (CR.3 Seaplane)

Data from Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 1 (pilot)
Length: 24 ft 8 in (7.52 m)
Wingspan: 22 ft 8 in (6.90 m)
Height: 10 ft 9 in (3.27 m)
Wing area: 168 ft² (15.6 m²)
Empty weight: 2,119 lb (961 kg)
Gross weight: 2,597 lb (1,178 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss D-12 5PL, 450 hp (336 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 194 mph (312 km/h)
Range: 281 miles (452 km)
Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,706 m)

References

Notes

↑ Bowers 1979, p. 230.

Bibliography

Bowers, Peter M. (1979). Curtiss Aircraft, 1907–1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 796.
World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 891, Sheet 45.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss CR.

Aircraft produced by Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright

Manufacturer
designations

Early types	No. 1 No. 2

Model letters	C D E F G GS H J K L M N PN JN R S T

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

"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

By role

Experimental	No. 1 Model C Tanager

Racing	No. 2 Cox Racer CR R2C R3C

Utility	Model D Model E Model F Robin Thrush

Maritime patrol	Model H HS-1L and -2L

Trainers	Model L Model JN Fledgling AT-4 Hawk AT-5 Hawk

Naval trainers	NC N2C

Fighters	18 PW-8 P-1 P-2 P-3 P-4 P-5 P-6 XP-31 P-36 P-40 XP-46 XP-53 YP-60 XP-62 XP-71 XP-87

Naval fighters	HA FC F2C F3C F4C F6C F7C F8C F9C F10C F11C XF12C F13C XF14C XF15C

Airliners	Eagle Condor II Kingbird

Naval scouts	CS GS S2C XS3C S4C SC SBC SB2C XSB3C SNC SOC SO2C SO3C

Observation	O-1 O-12 O-13 O-16 O-18 O-26 O-39 O-40 O-52

Naval observation	OC O2C O3C

Bombers	Canada B-2

Naval bombers	CT BFC BF2C XBTC XBT2C

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

License production	NBS-1

v t e USAAS racing aircraft designations 1919-1924

R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6 R-7 R-8

v t e USN racing aircraft designations

Bee Line	BR

Curtiss	CR R2C R3C

v t e USN 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 Seversky	FN 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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