Curtiss CR
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company · United States · first flew 1921 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Curtiss CR was a sleek American racing biplane that dominated the Pulitzer and Schneider Trophy contests in the early 1920s, showcasing the potential of the new Curtiss D-12 liquid-cooled engine.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.01 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- single-bay biplane racer
- Curtiss D-12 inline engine
- large pontoon floats on seaplane version
An extremely compact single-bay biplane with almost equal-span wings, a slender D-12 engine cowling, and — on the CR-3 — large twin pontoons that seem almost too big for the tiny airframe.
Specifications
- The Curtiss CR has a length of 7.01 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.01 m (23 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 367 km/h (228 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed specifically for closed-course air racing, the CR-1 won the 1921 Pulitzer Trophy at 197 mph. Subsequent CR-2 and CR-3 variants were fitted with floats for the 1923 Schneider Trophy, where the CR-3 took first and second places and set a new world seaplane speed record.
Variants
The CR-1 was the land-plane racer; the CR-2 added detail refinements; the CR-3 was the celebrated twin-float Schneider Trophy variant.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the US Navy as both racing demonstrators and testbeds; the technology directly influenced subsequent Curtiss fighter designs.
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