SafekipediaCurtiss-Wright
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is an American company that makes and fixes parts for airplanes and other machines. It started in 1929 when three companies joined together: Curtiss, Wright, and some other smaller companies. It quickly became the biggest airplane company in the United States.
During World War II, Curtiss-Wright built many airplane engines for the U.S. military. Even though the company no longer builds whole airplanes, it still makes important parts like actuators, aircraft controls, and valves. These parts help airplanes and other machines work properly.
Today, Curtiss-Wright sells its products to many different industries. It makes parts for commercial airplanes, industrial machines, defense equipment, and energy systems. The company also helps make parts for commercial and naval nuclear power, industrial vehicles, and machines used in the oil and gas industries. The company is based in Davidson, North Carolina, and it has factories both in the United States and in other countries.
History
Curtiss-Wright started on July 5, 1929, when 12 companies joined together. It became the biggest aviation company in the United States. The company made many aircraft engines for the U.S. military during World War II.
After World War II, Curtiss-Wright tried to build jet aircraft but did not succeed. The company then focused on making parts for aircraft and other equipment. Over time, Curtiss-Wright grew by buying other companies that make special parts and systems for airplanes, defense, and other industries.
Merger and expansion
Divisions
Pre-World War II
War production
During World War II, Curtiss-Wright made many aircraft engines, propellers, and airplanes. The company built famous fighters like the P-40 and transport planes like the C-46 Commando.
Defective engines sold to the U.S. military in World War II
Post–World War II
Demise of aircraft production
Flight research
Engine development
Flight simulators
Business diversification and acquisition strategy
| Companies Merged | Owner |
|---|---|
| Wright Aeronautical Corp | Hoyt |
| Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Co | Keys |
| Curtiss Airports Corp. | Keys |
| Curtiss Flying Service | Keys |
| Curtiss Aeroplane Export Co. | Keys |
| Curtiss-Caproni Corp. | Keys |
| Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Mfg. Co. | Keys |
| New York Air Terminals | Hoyt |
| N.Y. & Suburban Airlines | Hoyt |
| Keystone Aircraft Corp | Hoyt |
Products
Aircraft
Curtiss Electric propellers
In addition to making engines, the company also made special airplane propellers that could change speed automatically. These were called Curtiss Electric and had three or four blades.
Albert Kahn
Albert Kahn Associates helped design many buildings for the company. These buildings were in places like Beaver, PA; Buffalo, NY; Caldwell, NJ; Columbus, OH; Indianapolis, IN; Kenmore, NY; Louisville, KY and St. Louis, MO. Some of Albert Kahn's books and papers are kept at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan.
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtiss Bleeker SX-5-1 Helicopter | 1926 | 1 | Experimental single-engine helicopter |
| Curtiss Teal | 2 | Single-engine monoplane flying boat | |
| Curtiss-Wright Junior | 1930 | ~270 | Single-engine monoplane sport airplane |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-3 Duckling | 1931 | 3 | Single-engine monoplane flying boat |
| Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk | 1931 | 7+ | Single-engine biplane parasite fighter |
| Curtiss A-8 | 1931 | 13 | Single-engine monoplane attack airplane |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-15 | 1931 | 15 | Single-engine cabin monoplane |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-16 | 22 or 23 | Single-engine biplane trainer | |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-17 | N/A | 0 | Single-engine biplane |
| Curtiss O-40 Raven | 1932 | 5 | Single-engine biplane observation airplane |
| Curtiss F11C Goshawk | 1932 | 30 | Single-engine biplane fighter |
| Curtiss XP-31 Swift | 1932 | 1 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss YA-10 Shrike | 1932 | 2 | Prototype single-engine monoplane attack airplane |
| Curtiss T-32 Condor II | 1933 | 45 | Twin-engine biplane airliner |
| Curtiss BF2C Goshawk | 166 | Single-engine biplane fighter | |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-6 | 8 | Single-engine cabin monoplane | |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-12 | 40 or 41 | Single-engine biplane trainer | |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-14 Osprey | 38+ | Single-engine biplane | |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-19 | ~43 | Single-engine monoplane attack airplane | |
| Curtiss XF13C | 1934 | 3 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss SOC Seagull | 1934 | 258 | Single-engine biplane scout floatplane |
| Curtiss-Wright CA-1 | 1935 | 3 | Single-engine biplane flying boat |
| Curtiss P-36 Hawk | 1935 | 1115 | Single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss A-12 Shrike | 46 | Single-engine monoplane attack airplane | |
| Curtiss XA-14 | 1935 | 1 | Prototype twin-engine monoplane attack airplane |
| Curtiss A-18 Shrike | 1935 | 13 | Twin-engine attack monoplane airplane |
| Curtiss SBC Helldiver | 1935 | 257 | Single-engine biplane dive bomber |
| Curtiss P-37 | 1937 | 14 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-21 | 1938 | 62 | Single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss P-40 Warhawk | 1938 | 13738 | Single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss XP-42 | 1939 | 1 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss SO3C Seamew | 1939 | 795 | Single-engine monoplane scout floatplane |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-22 | 1940 | ~442 | Single-engine monoplane trainer |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-23 | 1 | Prototype single-engine monoplane trainer | |
| Curtiss C-46 Commando | 1940 | 3181 | Twin-engine monoplane cargo airplane |
| Curtiss O-52 Owl | 1940 | 203 | Single-engine monoplane observation airplane |
| Curtiss SB2C Helldiver | 1940 | 7140 | Single-engine monoplane dive bomber |
| Curtiss AT-9 | 1941 | 792 | Twin-engine monoplane trainer |
| Curtiss XP-46 | 1941 | 2 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss P-60 | 1941 | 4 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss-Wright C-76 Caravan | 1943 | 25 | Twin-engine monoplane cargo airplane |
| Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender | 1943 | 3 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss XP-62 | 1943 | 1 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss SC Seahawk | 1944 | 577 | Single-engine monoplane scout floatplane |
| Curtiss XF14C | 1944 | 1 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss XBTC | 1945 | 2 | Prototype single-engine monoplane torpedo bomber |
| Curtiss XF15C | 1945 | 3 | Prototype mixed propulsion monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss XBT2C | 1945 | 9 | Prototype single-engine monoplane torpedo bomber |
| Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk | 1948 | 2 | Four-engine jet monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss-Wright X-19 | 1963 | 2 | Experimental twin-engine tiltrotor airplane |
| Curtiss-Wright VZ-7 | 2 | Experimental single-engine helicopter | |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-2 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt two-seat monoplane |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-5 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt cargo airplane |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-18 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt two-seat trainer |
| Curtiss XP-53 | N/A | 2 | Prototype single-engine monoplane fighter |
| Curtiss XP-71 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt twin-engine monoplane heavy fighter |
| Curtiss XSB3C | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt single-engine monoplane dive bomber |
| Curtiss KD2C Skeet | 1947 | Target drone | |
| Curtiss CW-32 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt four-engine transport |
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Curtiss-Wright, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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