The Curtiss-Wright CW-12 Sport Trainer and CW-16 Light Sport (also marketed under the Travel Air brand that Curtiss-Wright had recently acquired) were high-performance training aircraft designed by Herbert Rawdon and Ted Wells and built in the United States in the early 1930s.
| CW-12 Sport Trainer and CW-16 Light Sport | |
|---|---|
| |
| Curtiss-Wright Travel Air CW-12W (built 2009) | |
| Role | Civil trainer |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss-Wright |
| First flight | 1931 |
| Status | Some airworthy in 2009 |
| Primary user | Private owners |
| Number built | 63 |
Development edit
The CW-12 and CW-16 shared the same basic design as conventional single-bay biplanes with staggered wings braced with N-struts. The pilot and instructor sat in tandem, open cockpits, the forward cockpit of the CW-12 having a single seat, while the CW-16's forward cockpit could seat two passengers side-by-side. Both versions of the aircraft were available in a variety of engine choices, and some CW-16s were exported as trainers to the air forces of Bolivia and Ecuador.
Variants edit
- CW-12
- CW-12K - version powered by 125 hp (93 kW) Kinner K-5 engine. Two built.[1]
- CW-12Q - version powered by 90 hp (67 kW) Wright-built de Havilland Gipsy. 26 built.[1]
- CW-12W - version powered by 110 hp (82 kW) Warner Scarab. 12 built[1] + 1 replica
- CW-16
- CW-16E - version powered by Wright J-6 Whirlwind 5 engine. (10 built).[2]
- CW-16K - version powered by Kinner B-5 engine (11 built).[2]
- CW-16W - version powered by Warner Scarab engine (1 built).[2]
Operators edit
Civil owners in USA and United Kingdom
- Argentine Navy purchased 15 CW-16Es in 1935, with 13 more possibly being built from 1938. The type remained in use until 1949.[3]
- Bolivian Air Force purchased three CW-16s in 1934, with the type in use until 1943.[4]
- Brazilian Air Force received 15 CW-16Ws, with 125 hp (93 kW) Warner Scarab engines in 1935, the type remaining in service until 1940.[4]
- Colombian Air Force received six CW-16s in 1933.[4]
- Ecuadorian Air Force purchased six CW-16Es in 1935, with three more CW-16s following in 1936. Three remained in use until 1944.[5]
Specifications (CW-12Q) edit
Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947[6]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 21 ft 5 in (6.53 m)
- Wingspan: 28 ft 10 in (8.79 m)
- Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
- Wing area: 206 sq ft (19.1 m2)
- Airfoil: Clark Y (15%)[7]
- Empty weight: 1,071 lb (486 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,725 lb (782 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss-Wright licence-built de Havilland Gipsy 4-cylinder air-cooled in-line piston engine, 90 hp (67 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 105 mph (169 km/h, 91 kn)
- Cruise speed: 88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn)
- Range: 390 mi (630 km, 340 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
- Rate of climb: 600 ft/min (3.0 m/s)
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ a b c Bowers 1979, p.402.
- ^ a b c Bowers 1979, p. 408.
- ^ Hagedorn Air Enthusiast March to May 1992, p. 76.
- ^ a b c Hagedorn Air Enthusiast March to May 1992, p. 75.
- ^ Hagedorn Air Enthusiast March to May 1992, pp. 75–76.
- ^ Bowers 1979, p.403.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
Bibliography edit
- Bowers, Peter M. (1979). Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
- Hagedorn, Dan (March–May 1992). "Curtiss Types In Latin America". Air Enthusiast. No. Forty–five. pp. 61–77. ISSN 0143-5450.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 288.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 891 Sheet 54.