Curtiss HS-2L
Curtiss · United States · first flew 1917 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Curtiss HS-2L was the United States Navy's principal patrol flying boat of the First World War, produced in large numbers for anti-submarine and coastal patrol duties along both American coasts and in European waters.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.89 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- large biplane flying boat with pusher engine between the wings
- wide two-step hull with observer's cockpit in the bow
- equal-span wings braced by multiple interplane struts
A large equal-span biplane flying boat with a pusher engine nacelle mounted between the wings on struts, a broad flat-bottomed hull, and the observer/bomb-aimer position in the exposed bow — typical of World War One patrol flying boats.
Specifications
- The Curtiss HS-2L has a length of 11.89 m (39 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22.86 m (75 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 132 km/h (82 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed from the HS-1 with a larger wing to address overloading, the HS-2L entered service in 1917 and equipped numerous US Naval Air Stations. Over 1,000 were ordered and the type flew extensive anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic; postwar examples served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and were used by early Canadian bush pilots.
Variants
The HS-1 preceded the -2L; the enlarged wingspan of the -2L became the standard variant. Postwar civil conversions flew mail and passenger routes in Canada, making the HS-2L an important pioneer of Canadian commercial aviation.
Where you'll see it
US Navy HS-2Ls patrolled the Atlantic seaboard and European waters through 1918; postwar Canadian examples were critical to opening remote northern routes, with some operating into the mid-1920s.
Related aircraft
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