Curtiss N-9H
Curtiss · United States · first flew 1916 · light aircraft
The Curtiss N-9 was the US Navy's standard seaplane trainer of the First World War era, a floatplane adaptation of the JN-4 Jenny used to train thousands of naval aviators at Pensacola and other water-based stations.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.4 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- twin-float seaplane biplane trainer with unequal spans
- single inline Hispano-Suiza or Hall-Scott engine
- wide-chord lower wing and distinctive equal-length twin floats
A two-bay biplane with two equal-length floats and a noticeably wider lower wing than upper, the N-9 is distinguished from land-plane Jennys by the float undercarriage and the larger lower wing chord introduced to compensate for the floats' added weight and drag.
Specifications
- The Curtiss N-9H has a length of 9.4 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.26 m (53 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 137 km/h (85 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Derived from the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny by adding twin floats and enlarging the lower wing, the N-9 entered Navy service in 1916. The N-9H variant introduced the 150 hp Hispano-Suiza engine. The aircraft served throughout America's involvement in the First World War and trained the majority of early US naval aviators.
Variants
The N-9 and N-9C preceded the N-9H; all differed primarily in engine fit. A small number were converted to single-float configuration for torpedo-dropping experiments.
Where you'll see it
Primary seaplane trainer for the United States Navy from 1916 to the early 1920s; the type equipped all major naval air stations on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the Gulf of Mexico.
Related aircraft
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