The Travel Air 9000 was an American general-purpose biplane of the 1920s, a member of the family of aircraft that began with the Travel Air Model A.[1] It was later known as the Curtiss-Wright CW-9 after Curtiss-Wright acquired Travel Air.[2] Only four examples were built, two each converted from Travel Air 3000s and 4000s.[3]
Like other members of this family, the Model 9000 was an unequal-span, single-bay, staggered biplane of conventional design.[3] The passengers and pilot sat in tandem, open cockpits.[3] It had a conventional tail, and fixed, tailskid undercarriage.[3] The fuselage was built from welded steel tubes, and the wings from wood.[4] Travel Air model numbers primarily reflected changes in powerplant, and the Model 9000 was powered by a Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine mounted in the nose, driving a tractor propeller.
The prototype, registered X-3791, began life as Model 4000, construction number 302.[3] It was licensed on December 16, 1927,[3] and received type certificate ATC-38 the following April.[5] The second Model 9000 (registered NC4420) also began as a Model 4000 (construction number 380), while the other two were conversions from Model 3000s.[3]
NC4420, named Smith's Incubator, was re-engined for a time[3] with a 120hp 10-cylinder Anzani engine,[6] [7] receiving approval 2-25 in July 1928.[7] [8] It was later converted back to Sh 14 power.[3]
A subsequent owner fitted the prototype Model 9000 with an extra 40usgal fuel tank.[3] In this configuration, Viola Gentry used it to set a new aerial endurance record for women.[3] On December 3, 1928, she stayed aloft over Long Island[9] for 8 hours 6 minutes and 37 seconds.[10]
George B. Peck flew a Model 9000 in the 1928 Ford National Reliability Air Tour, attaining 22nd place.[6] [11]
Seventeen-year-old Richard James flew a Model 9000 named Spirit of American Youth to claim a $1,000 prize from the American Society of the Promotion of Aviation[6] for the first young person under the age of eighteen to complete a transcontinental flight.[12] James departed San Francisco on October 30, 1928 and arrived at Curtiss Field, Long Island on December 15.[12] The Siemens-Halske company presented him with a silver loving cup and President Calvin Coolidge shook his hand.[10]