Curtiss No. 2 Reims Racer
Herring-Curtiss Company · United States · first flew 1909 · light aircraft
The Curtiss No. 2, often known as the Reims Racer, was a racing aircraft built in the United States by Glenn Curtiss in 1909. It was built to contest the Gordon Bennett Cup air race at Reims.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.25 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Cruciform |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Open-framework biplane with two-bay, unstaggered wings of equal span
- Biplane canard unit of larger elevators ahead of the pilot
- Tricycle landing gear of three individual wheels
An all-moving cruciform tail unit with a small elevator and a rudder, large ailerons in the interplane gap, and a pusher propeller.
Specifications
- The Curtiss No. 2 Reims Racer has a length of 9.25 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.36 m (34 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was a modified Golden Flyer, with a covered stabiliser added at the canard position, increased wing size and modified interplane ailerons. The 25 hp engine was replaced by a specially lightened 63 hp Curtiss V8.
Variants
Only one was built, as a modified Curtiss Golden Flyer (Curtiss No. 1).
Where you'll see it
It was built to race at Reims in 1909 and was photographed in use in March 1910.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.