Curtiss Oriole

Curtiss Oriole

National origin: United States of America.
Manufacturer: Curtiss Aircraft
First flight: 1919
Unit cost: $7500 in 1919

The Curtiss Oriole Model 17 is a three place biplane.

Design

The Oriole is a steel tube and fabric covered biplane powered by a Curtiss K-6 engine. The aircraft featured a self starter.

Operational history

Surplus Curtiss Oriole wings were sold to Harold Pitcairn to manufacture the first production Pitcairn aircraft, the Pitcairn PA-3 Orowing.

Northwest Airlines was founded on August 1, 1926 flying a Curtiss Oriole and a Thomas Morse Biplane on the CAM-9 Airmail route from Minneapolis to Chicago.

Admiral Byrd selected a Curtiss Oriole for his backup aircraft for his Fokker on his North Pole expedition. One was shipped on the steamer Chantier in case the Fokker was unavailable.

A leased Curtiss Oriole was deployed by the 109th Observation Squadron in 1921. The aircraft was flown to Washington D.C. to lobby for Minnesota Air Guard funding.

A Curtiss Oriole is displayed at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York, and a Oriole is on static display at the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum

Specifications (short-span wings, OX-5 engine)

Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 2 passengers
Length: 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)
Height: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
Wing area: 326 sq ft (30.3 m)
Empty weight: 1,428 lb (648 kg)
Gross weight: 2,036 lb (924 kg)
Powerplant: 1 x— Curtiss OX-5 water-cooled V-8 engine, 90 hp (67 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 86 mph (138 km/h; 75 kn)
Cruise speed: 69 mph (60 kn; 111 km/h)
Range: 582 mi (506 nmi; 937 km)
Service ceiling: 8,000 ft (2,438 m)
Rate of climb: 400 ft/min (2.0 m/s)

Bowers, Peter M (1979). Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 10029 8.

Curtiss Oriole Pictures

More aircraft.

Source: WikiPedia