Curtiss 18
The Curtiss 18 T Wasp, also known as the Kirkham,[1] was built by Curtiss Engineering for the U.S. Navy. It was desgined to protect bombing squads along the French coast, and a primary requisite for this job was speed.[2] Flown by Roland Rholfs, the Wasp achieved a world speed record of 163 mph (262 km/h) in August 1918 carrying a full military load of 1076 pounds.[3] After World War I, it was employed as a racing plan: a T-2 model nearly won the Curtiss Marine Trophy Race in 1922 (limited to U.S. Navy pilots), but pilot Sandy Sanderson ran out of fuel just before the finish line.[4]
Speed wasn't the Curtiss' only strength: the Wasp set a new altitude record in 1919 at 30,400 feet, and unofficially it reached even greater altitudes. It is said to be the top-performing triplane of the war.[5]
The Curtiss 18 T-2 was an improved version of its predecessor, boosting 50 additional horsepower. The T-1 had proved too heavy for its straight wings to lift efficiently, so the wings of the new model were swept back five degrees. It was also five feet longer with a nine-foot greater wingspan, though its flight ceiling was 2,000 feet lower. Curtiss Engineering followed the success of the 18 T with the launch of the 18 B "Hornet", build to simular specifications.[6]
Specifications (T-1)
Data from Virtual Aircraft Museum[7] and Aerofiles[6]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
Performance
Armament
- Guns:
- Primary: 2× forward-firing synchronized .30 Marlin guns
- Secondary: 2× rear-cockpit .303 Lewis guns on a Scarff ring
References
- ^ http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-1910/PART02.PDF
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=kG3Ub6cgalMC&pg=PA2508&lpg=PA2508&dq=%22curtiss+18+t%22&source=web&ots=-ucmK0P817&sig=4SxsCYKHwhs4N-6Uphu_vpuT_yc
- ^ http://www.centennialofflight.gov/user/fact_aug.htm
- ^ http://www.airrace.com/ConciseHist.htm
- ^ http://www.bsc.net/JFA3088/mysteryplane.htm
- ^ a b http://www.aerofiles.com/_curt.html
- ^ http://avia.russian.ee/air/usa/curtiss_18t.php
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