Curtiss 18
United States Navy aircraft
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Curtiss 18T, unofficially known as the Wasp and by the United States Navy as the Kirkham,[1] was an early American triplane fighter aircraft designed by Curtiss for the US Navy. It was redesignated Curtiss Model 15 in Curtiss's later rationalization of their model numbering.[2]
| Curtiss 18-T Wasp | |
|---|---|
| |
| General information | |
| Type | twoseat fighter triplane |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss Engineering Corporation |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| History | |
| Introduction date | February 1919 |
| First flight | 7 May 1918 |
Design and development
The Curtiss 18T was intended to protect bombing aircraft over France, and a primary requisite for this job was speed. Speed was not the triplane's only salient feature: an 18T-2 set a new altitude record in 1919 of 34,910 ft (10,640 m).[3] The streamlined and very "clean" fuselage contributed to the aircraft's performance. The basic construction was based on cross-laminated strips of wood veneer formed on a mold and attached to the inner structure. The technique was a refinement of that used on the big Curtiss flying boats.[4]
Operational history
Flown by Roland Rholfs, the 18T achieved a world speed record of 163 mph (262 km/h) in August 1918 carrying a full military load of 1,076 lb (488 kg).[5]
The Model 18T-2 was an improved version of its predecessor, with 50 additional horsepower. The wings of the new model were swept back. It was also 5 ft (150 cm) longer with a 9 ft (270 cm) larger two-bay wing, though its operational ceiling was 2,000 ft (610 m) lower.
After World War I, it was employed as a racing plane: an 18T-2 nearly won the Curtiss Marine Trophy Race in 1922 (limited to U.S. Navy pilots), but the pilot, Lt. Sanderson ran out of fuel just before the finish line.[6]
Curtiss Engineering followed the Model 18T with the Model 18B, unofficially known as the "Hornet", built to otherwise similar specifications.
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Variants
- Model 18T or 18T-1
- Two-seat fighter triplane with single-bay wings, powered by a 400 hp (300 kW) Curtiss K-12 piston engine. Referred to by the US Navy as the "Kirkham". Originally designated 18T, the type was redesignated the 18T-1 when the prototype was modified to a new configuration designated 18T-2 (see below).
- Model 18T-2
- 18T with longer-span two-bay wings. Could be fitted with floatplane or landplane landing gear.
- Model 18B
- Biplane fighter version, known unofficially as the "Hornet". Sole flying prototype of Curtiss 18B, USAAS 40058, 'P-86', crashed early in flight trials at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, summer 1919. Type not ordered into production. One non-flying prototype also delivered for static testing.[7] Redesignated Model 15A[2]
Operators
Specifications (18T-1 Wasp)
Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m)
- Wingspan: 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)
- Height: 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m)
- Wing area: 288 sq ft (26.8 m2)
- Airfoil: Sloane[8]
- Empty weight: 1,980 lb (898 kg)
- Gross weight: 3,050 lb (1,383 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss K-12 V-12 water-cooled piston engine, 400 hp (300 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 163 mph (262 km/h, 142 kn)
- Endurance: 5 hours 54 minutes
- Service ceiling: 23,000 ft (7,000 m)
- Time to altitude: 12,500 ft (3,800 m) in 10 minutes
Armament
- Guns:
- Primary: 2 × forward-firing synchronized 0.300 in (7.62 mm) Marlin Rockwell M1917/M1918 machine-guns
- Secondary: 2 × 0.300 in (7.62 mm) Lewis guns on a Scarff ring in the rear-cockpit plus 1 × Lewis gun firing through an aperture in the aircraft's belly
