Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company

The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an important American company that made airplanes and airplane engines. It was started in 1909 by Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York.

In its early years, the company made airplanes that could fly well and were liked by pilots and the public.

Curtiss made many airplanes that helped shape the early days of flying. These airplanes were used for things like racing and helping people travel through the air. The company's work was very important for the development of aviation.

After many years, the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company merged with another company called Wright Aeronautical in 1929. This created a new company named Curtiss-Wright, which continued to make airplanes and airplane engines for many years.

History

Origin

In 1907, Glenn Curtiss joined a group led by Alexander Graham Bell to study flying. In 1909, Curtiss and a partner named Augustus Moore Herring started a company to build airplanes. The company changed names a few times before becoming the Curtiss Aeroplane Company.

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company

The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company started in 1916, combining two smaller companies. When World War I began, the company grew quickly because the government needed many airplanes. They moved to Buffalo, New York to be closer to supplies and workers.

Curtiss made many important planes during the war, including the JN-4 trainer, which became very popular after the war. They also made flying boats that helped protect ships at sea. By the end of the war, Curtiss was one of the biggest airplane makers in the world.

After the war, the company faced money problems. In 1920, Glenn Curtiss left the company and moved to Florida. The company kept making planes, winning racing events and building light transport planes during hard economic times.

Curtiss-Wright Corporation

On July 5, 1929, the Curtiss company joined with others to form the Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Curtiss Aviation School

Curtiss also ran a flying school in Toronto Township, Ontario from 1915 to 1917.

Atlantic Coast Aeronautical Station

Glenn Curtiss helped start a flying school near Newport News in 1915. Many students who learned to fly there became famous pilots during World War I. The school closed in 1922.

Products

Aircraft

Aircraft engines

The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company made many engines for their planes. Some of these engines include the Curtiss A-2 (engine), Curtiss OX-5, Curtiss OXX, Curtiss C-6, Curtiss D-12 (also called Curtiss V-1150), Curtiss K-12, Curtiss V-2, Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror, Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain, Curtiss R-600 Challenger, and Curtiss R-1454.

Helicopters

The company also made a special kind of airplane called a helicopter, known as the Curtiss-Bleecker SX-5-1 Helicopter.