Curtiss 18 Explained

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.

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 .^[2] 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.^[3]

Operational history

Flown by Roland Rholfs, the 18T achieved a world speed record of in August 1918 carrying a full military load of .^[4]

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 longer with a larger two-bay wing, though its operational ceiling was 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.^[5]

Curtiss Engineering followed the Model 18T with the Model 18B, unofficially known as the "Hornet", built to otherwise similar specifications.

Variants

Model 18T or 18T-1: Two-seat fighter triplane with single-bay wings, powered by a 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.^[6]

Operators

• United States Navy

Bibliography

• Angelucci, Enzo and Peter Bowers. The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present. New York: Orion Books, 1985. .
• Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947. London: Putnam, 1979. .
• "The Curtiss Model 18-T Triplane." Flight, Volume XI, Issue 22, No. 544, 29 May 1919, pp. 698–700.
• "The Curtiss Model 18-B Biplane." Volume XI, Issue 28, No. 550, 10 July 1919, pp. 902–904.
• Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Salamander, 1994. .
• Hagedorn. Dan. Curtiss Types in Latin America. Air Enthusiast. March–May 1992. 45 . 61–77 . 0143-5450.

External links

• No. 8901. Curtiss 18-T-2 Wasp (A-3325) US Navy

Notes and References

1. http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-1910/PART02.PDF PART 2 Test of Strength 1917-1919
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=kG3Ub6cgalMC&dq=%22curtiss+18+t%22&pg=PA2508 Naval investigation, hearings before the subcommittee of the Committee on Naval Affairs.
3. http://www.aerofiles.com/_curt.html "Curtiss # to J."
4. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/user/fact_aug.htm "Aviation History Facts: August 1."
5. Berliner, Don. "A Concise History of Air Racing." Society of Air Racing Historians, 9 January 2007. Retrieved: 13 January 2011.
6. Green, William, and Swanborough, Gordon, "Fighter A To Z", Air International, Bromley, Kent, UK, February 1976, Volume 10, Number 2, page 98.