Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company – Aircraft, Engines & Helicopters

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company – Aircraft, Engines & Helicopters

The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company stands as one of the most prolific and influential aircraft manufacturers in early aviation history. Founded by Glenn H. Curtiss, the company produced a remarkable range of aircraft from 1909 through the early 1930s — spanning experimental biplanes, flying boats, fighters, trainers, bombers, and airliners. This article provides a structured reference to the full Curtiss aircraft lineage, its aircraft engines, and helicopter development.


Aircraft

Use the table below to explore the Curtiss aircraft lineup. You can sort by column header or use the filter to narrow by type.

Model ▼ First Flight ▼ Number Built ▼ Type
Curtiss No. 1 1909 1 Experimental biplane
Curtiss No. 2 1909 1 Experimental biplane
Pfitzner Flyer 1910 1 Experimental monoplane
Curtiss Model D 1910 Biplane
Curtiss Model E 1911 Biplane floatplane
Curtiss Model F 1912 150+ Biplane flying boat
Curtiss Model J 1914 2 Biplane trainer
Curtiss Model H 1914 478 Long-range flying boat
Curtiss Model K 1915 51+ Biplane flying boat
Curtiss Model R 1915 ~290 Biplane utility
Curtiss C-1 Canada 1915 12 Biplane bomber
Curtiss JN-4 1915 6,813 Biplane trainer
Curtiss Model L 1916 4+ Triplane trainer
Curtiss Model N 1916 560 Biplane floatplane trainer
Curtiss Model T 1916 1 Triplane flying boat bomber
Curtiss Twin JN 1916 8 Biplane observation
Curtiss HS 1917 ~1,178 Biplane flying boat patrol
Curtiss GS 1918 6 Biplane floatplane scout
Curtiss HA 1918 6 Biplane fighter mailplane
Curtiss JN-6H 1918 1,035 Biplane trainer
Curtiss NC 1918 10 Biplane flying boat patrol
Curtiss 18 1918 8 Biplane fighter
Curtiss Eagle 1919 ~24 Biplane airliner
Curtiss Oriole 1919 Biplane
Curtiss Cox Racer 1920 2 Biplane racer
Curtiss CR 1921 4 Biplane racer
Curtiss CT 1921 1 Biplane torpedo bomber
Curtiss Orenco D 1921 50 Biplane fighter
Curtiss P-1 Hawk 1923 107 Biplane fighter
Curtiss CS 1923 83 Biplane torpedo bomber
Curtiss R2C 1923 3 Biplane racer
Curtiss R3C 1925 3 Biplane racer
Curtiss Carrier Pigeon 1925 12 Biplane mailplane
Curtiss F6C Hawk 75 Biplane fighter
Curtiss F7C Seahawk 1927 17 Biplane fighter
Curtiss Falcon 488 Biplane observation
Curtiss Fledgling 1927 ~160 Biplane trainer
Curtiss Robin 1928 769 Cabin monoplane
Curtiss Tanager 1929 1 Experimental biplane
Curtiss Thrush 1929 13 Cabin monoplane
Curtiss Kingbird 1929 19 Monoplane airliner
Curtiss XO-30 N/A 0 Unbuilt monoplane observation
Curtiss P-6 Hawk 70 Biplane fighter
Curtiss XP-10 1 Prototype biplane fighter
Curtiss XP-18 N/A 0 Unbuilt biplane fighter
Curtiss XP-19 N/A 0 Unbuilt monoplane fighter
Curtiss YP-20 1 Prototype biplane fighter
Curtiss XP-22 Hawk 1 Prototype biplane fighter
Curtiss PN-1 1 Prototype biplane fighter
Curtiss B-2 Condor 13 Biplane bomber
Curtiss Model 41 Lark 3 Biplane floatplane
Curtiss Model S ~8 Biplane fighter
Curtiss Autoplane 1 Experimental roadable aircraft
Curtiss F5L 60 Biplane flying boat
Curtiss TS 34 Biplane fighter

Aircraft Engines

Curtiss developed a series of influential aircraft engines that powered not only their own designs but also aircraft from other manufacturers. These engines were central to American aviation development in the early twentieth century.

  • Curtiss A-2 – Early V-type engine used in pioneer-era aircraft
  • Curtiss OX-5 – Iconic V-8 engine; powered the JN-4 “Jenny” trainer
  • Curtiss OXX – Developed variant of the OX series
  • Curtiss C-6 – Six-cylinder inline engine
  • Curtiss D-12 (Curtiss V-1150) – High-performance V-12; influenced British Rolls-Royce designs
  • Curtiss K-12 – Experimental high-output V-12
  • Curtiss V-2 – Early V-type engine
  • Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror – Advanced V-12 used in late 1920s fighters
  • Curtiss H-1640 Chieftain – Experimental H-24 engine
  • Curtiss R-600 Challenger – Radial engine used in civil aircraft including the Robin
  • Curtiss R-1454 – Radial engine development

Helicopters

Curtiss also ventured into rotary-wing development in the early 1930s, collaborating with inventor Henry Bleecker on an innovative autogyro-style design.

  • Curtiss-Bleecker SX-5-1 Helicopter – An experimental rotary-wing aircraft featuring blade-tip propellers to generate both lift and torque compensation, representing one of the earliest serious American helicopter development efforts.

This article is part of the Online Aviation Library manufacturer reference series. All data is provided for historical and archival research purposes.