The Orenco D was an American biplane fighter aircraft, designed by Orenco and built by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. It was the first fighter type of completely indigenous design (as opposed to foreign types or American-built versions of foreign types) to enter US military service.
The D prototype was offered to the US Army Air Service at the end of 1918. It was a two-bay biplane of all-wood construction, covered with fabric. It was powered by a 3000NaN0 Hispano-Suiza engine. The pilot of the first flight test, Clarence B. Coombs, gave it a positive evaluation: "This aircraft performs better than the Sopwith Camel and Snipe, the Thomas-Morse, the Nieuport and Morane Parasol, the Spad and S.V.A." The military ordered 50 production aircraft, but put the production order up for bidding. Curtiss Aircraft entered the lowest bid and built the fighter, modifying it slightly with a wider wingspan and redesigned ailerons.[1] The first Curtiss Orenco D flew on 26 August 1921.
Data from: Flight: The Aircraft Engineer & Airships, "Some 'Orenco' (U.S.A) Aeroplanes", 1 April 1920, pp. 363–366.
Data quoted here may differ in some respects from that quoted by Angelucci.[1]
Span: 30feet
Area: 142square feet
Span: 28feet
Area: 119square feet
At sea level: 147mph
At 10000feet: 139mph
To 5000feet: 4 min 20 s
To 10000feet: 8 min 54 s
To 15000feet: 16 min 45 s
Span: 28feet
Area: 170square feet
Span: 25feet
Area: 64square feet
At sea level: 165mph
At 10000feet: 158mph
To 5000feet: 4 min
To 10000feet: 8 min 30 s
To 15000feet: 13 min 50 s