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Curtiss NC (Nancy Boat)

1918 WORLD WAR 1

History

The First World War in Europe prompted all military industries to design and manufacture various solutions to existing (and some new) problems. The U.S. finally officially sided with the Allies and began delivering goods and people to Europe in 1917, despite the constant threat of the ships being threatened by the feared German submarines that plagued Atlantic waters. In response, the U.S.

Navy demanded the construction of a long-range flying craft that could travel vast distances across the Atlantic to provide cover for supply ships while patrolling German raiders.

The indictment eventually fell to the capable Curtiss Aircraft & Motors company, which had a wealth of experience building boat-like flying boats over the years (the Curtiss H-16 being a prime example). Production of the new airship began in 1918, with the first flight on October 4, 1918.

Curtiss worked to strict specifications set by the U.S. Naval Construction and Maintenance Board, and the result was a large biplane fuselage powered by multiple engines. The series took the name Curtiss NC ("NC" stands for "Navy Curtiss") and first appeared in triple-engine form as "NC-1". The US Navy ordered a total of four NC aircraft (NC-1, NC-2, NC-3 and NC-4).

North Carolina completes full sleeping quarters and radio facilities for scheduled long-range flights. In November of the same year, the NC-1 set a world record for carrying no less than 51 passengers.

In terms of design, the Curtiss NC was pretty standard at the time, giving it a very handcrafted look. The aircraft has a boat-like fuselage for naval operations, and the NC can take off and land on water as needed.

The sleek fuselage is suspended below a large biplane wing assembly with parallel struts and wiring for various control surfaces and points of reinforcement. Small pontoon-like structures are attached to the lower wingtips to prevent tipping over the water.

The original NC-1 designation featured three engines mounted side by side in the center of the wing assembly, between the upper and lower wing planes. All three engines work in a "puller" (or "tractor") arrangement. In the NC-2 and later models, the three engines benefit from a fourth engine (4 x Liberty L-12 water-cooled V-12 engines, 400 hp each) mounted in a "propeller" arrangement.

The tail consists of a double-arm structure and a double-wing tail section, which includes three vertical tails. All six crew positions are open air, including the circular cockpit position at the foremost (bow) end of the fuselage.

The pilot's cockpit is directly behind this location and in front of the wing assembly. A third open-air cockpit is located behind the wing. The top speed is 90 mph, which is on par with combat mounts from the early days of the war.

The range is 1,400 miles, while the plane can handle a service cap of 4,500 feet. While normally unarmed, the NC Series can mount air machine guns in front and rear cockpit locations for self-defense.

It is conceivable that wartime NC aircraft will also be equipped with bombs for attacking submarines and surface combatants.

In November 1918, the armistice was signed, ending the fighting in Europe. Therefore, there is no need to purchase military aircraft on a large scale like in previous months. The U.S. Navy is still looking for its large airship aircraft, and the development of the NC is on schedule (only the NC-1 was delivered to the U.S. Navy by the end of the war).

NC-1 eventually joined the NC-2, NC-3 and NC-4 brands. The NC-2 was damaged during testing and never flew again, while the NC-4 flew for the first time on April 30, 1919. The remaining aircraft were then used for the first transatlantic flight in May 1919, with only the NC-4 eventually using the intended runway in Lisbon, Portugal (via Newfoundland and the Azores). NC-1 crashed while her crew was being rescued, while NC-3 was forced to sink and "float" to the Azores. Beyond this effort, the NC series lived a useful life while serving in the U.S.

Navy. The Navy eventually commissioned six more NC aircraft (NC-5, NC-6, NC-7, NC-8, NC-9, and NC-10), and procurement of these brands continued into the 1920s.

Like the wartime JN-4 "Jenny" biplane trainer, the Curtiss NC series is known as "Nancy" or "Nancy Boat" due to the "NC" in its name.