Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
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Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Curtiss as president.
It became the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world during World War I, employing 18,000 in Buffalo and 3,000 in Hammondsport, New York. Curtiss produced 10,000 aircraft during that war, and more than 100 in a single week. It is particularly famous for the Curtiss JN4 two-seat biplane, one of the most popular planes of all time.
Other notable Curtiss aircraft include flying boats it made for the United States Navy, including the NC-4, the first airplane to fly across the Atlantic Ocean -- in 1919.
On July 5, 1929, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company became part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation, together with eleven other Wright and Curtiss affiliated companies.
During World War II, Curtiss manufactured over 3,000 Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft for the US army and also the P-40 fighter, made famous by its use by Claire Chennault's Flying Tigers in China. Later in war, Curtiss also manufactured over 7,000 SB2C Helldivers.
[edit] Further reading
Robert Sobel, The Age of Giant Corporations: a Microeconomic History of American Business, 1914-1970 (1972).
Timeline of aviation
Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft
| Preceded by Curtiss Company |
Curtiss-Wright Corporation 1916-1929 |
Succeeded by Curtiss-Wright Corporation |
