Curtiss HA

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company · United States · first flew 1918 · fighter

The Curtiss HA was an American single-seat floatplane fighter prototype built in 1918 to provide fleet defence capability, combining a biplane airframe with a large central float.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	9.37 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Single large central float with small wingtip stabilising floats
Equal-span biplane wings with centre-section cutout for pilot visibility
Rotary or V-type nose engine with prominent frontal radiator

Identified by its biplane wings, central main float, and characteristic Curtiss interplane strut arrangement common to American naval designs of the 1917–1918 period.

Specifications

The Curtiss HA has a length of 9.37 m (31 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.8 m (42 ft).
Its maximum speed is 190 km/h (118 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed by Curtiss for the US Navy during the First World War, the HA (Hispano-Suiza Armoured) first flew on 21 March 1918 powered by a Hispano-Suiza engine. The prototype proved difficult to handle and was destroyed in a crash during testing, ending the programme before any production order could be placed.

Variants

Only a single prototype was constructed; the HA-2 designation referred to a planned variant that was never completed.

Where you'll see it

The type never entered operational service with the US Navy; its failure highlighted the challenges of combining high performance with the weight penalties of float equipment.

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