Curtiss JN-4 Canuck
Overview
Overview
During the First World War, the Royal Flying Corps began setting up flying schools in Canada starting in 1916. The Royal Flying Corps selected the Curtiss JN-3 Jenny as the training aircraft of choice. The type was then manufactured in Canada under license by Canadian Aeroplanes Limited, and the Canadian version was given the designation JN-4 Canuck. The Canuck went on to become numerically the most important trainer of Canadian and British pilots and the design lent itself to a wide variety of training purposes, including air-to-air gunnery, photography and wireless radio training. Royal Flying Corps training schools in both Canada and the United States of America used the aircraft extensively. After the war, numerous JN-4 Canucks made their way into civilian use. The Canadian government received over 50 JN-4 aircraft as part of a post-war Imperial gift, but only 10 of these aircraft saw active use in the Canadian Air Force of the 1920s.
| Model Number | JN-4 |
| Role | Trainer |
| Taken on strength | 1917 |
| Struck off strength | 1924 |
| Number | 2,320 |
| Service | Royal Flying Corps / Canadian Air Force |
|---|
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft: A Military Compendium by T.F.J. Leversedge © 2007. Translated and reproduced with permission of the author.
Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications
| Manufacturer | Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd. |
| Crew / passengers | Two pilots in tandem or one pilot plus one passenger |
|---|---|
| Powerplant | One 90 hp Curtiss OX-2 or OX-5 piston engine |
| Maximum speed | 74 mph (121 km/h) |
| Cruising speed | 60 mph (96.5 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 11,000 ft (3,353 m) |
| Empty weight | 1,390 lb (631 kg) |
| Gross weight | 1,920 lb (872 kg) |
| Upper span | 43 ft 7 in (13.29 m) |
| Lower span | 34 ft 8 in (10.57 m) |
| Length | 27 ft 3 in (8.29 m) |
| Height | 9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) |
| Wing area | 361 sq ft (33.5 m2) |
| Armament | Provision for forward firing Vickers machine gun or flexible Scharff-ring mounted machine gun in rear cockpit |
| Cost | $5,465 US |
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft: A Military Compendium by T.F.J. Leversedge © 2007. Translated and reproduced with permission of the author.
