Curtiss Thrush
Curtiss-Robertson · United States · first flew 1929 · airliner
The Curtiss Model 56 Thrush was a 1929 six-passenger high-wing, single-engine cabin monoplane airliner and utility transport. It was built as an enlargement of the Curtiss Robin.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.93 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing cabin monoplane with a fixed undercarriage
- Semi-cantilever wing braced with steel tube struts
- Single radial engine in the nose
A six-seat high-wing cabin monoplane with a fixed undercarriage, a radial engine in the nose and strut-braced wings.
Specifications
- The Curtiss Thrush has a length of 9.93 m (33 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.63 m (48 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 196 km/h (122 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Three prototypes with 170 hp Curtiss Challenger engines proved underpowered, and production examples were redesignated Thrush J with 225 hp Wright Whirlwind engines. The fuselage formed the basis of the twin-engine Curtiss Kingbird.
Variants
The Thrush had Challenger engines and the Thrush J had the Whirlwind, and all three prototypes were later re-engined to Thrush J standard.
Where you'll see it
Twelve were ordered by China National Aviation Corporation but only ten production examples were built, and only one reached China. One went to Cuba as the first aircraft of the airline forerunner of Cubana de Aviacion, and several were used for endurance flights by female pilots in the early 1930s.
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