Curtiss-Wright CW-22

Scout and advanced trainer introduced in 1942

Overview

Curtiss United States ICAO: CW22 1940–1942

The Curtiss-Wright CW-22 was developed and manufactured by the American company Curtiss-Wright Corporation as a general-purpose advanced trainer during the 1940s. The aircraft was in service with the United States Navy and the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. It first flew in 1940 and was introduced in 1942. A total of 442 CW-22s were approximately built.

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Specifications

Units
Engine
1 × Wright R-975-28 Whirlwind
Engine type
Piston
Power
450 hp · 336 kW
Avionics
—
Wing tips
No winglets
Seats
2
Crew
—
Cabin width
—
Cabin height
—
Cabin length
—
Exterior length
27 ft 0 in  ·  8.23 m
Tail height
9 ft 11 in  ·  3.02 m
Fuselage diameter
—
Wing span
35 ft 0 in  ·  10.67 m
Baggage volume
—
Gross weight
—
Empty weight
—
Max takeoff weight
3,800 lb  ·  1,700 kg
Max landing weight
—
Max payload
—
Fuel capacity
Max cruise speed
172 kt  ·  198 mph  ·  319 km/h
Maximum speed
—
Cruise speed
—
Approach speed
—
Range
680 nm  ·  780 mi  ·  1,260 km
Fuel burn
—
Ceiling
21,800 ft  ·  6,600 m
Rate of climb
1,650 ft/min  ·  8 m/s
Takeoff distance
—
Landing distance
—
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A U.S. Navy Curtiss SNC-1 Falcon trainer from Fleet Air Wing 11 in flight near San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1943.

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Operational Context

The CW-22 was developed by the American Curtiss-Wright Corporation in their St. Louis factory during the 1940s. It was a development of the CW-19 civil utility aircraft through the CW-21 fighter-interceptor. In 1940, the aircraft prototype designated as CW-A22 took to the air for the first time.

It was a less-powered, all-metal low-wing monoplane fitted with retractable conventional landing gear and could carry two crew members. The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force was the primary operator of the CW-22 powered by an R-975 engine. Thirty-six of this type were exported. The CW-22B was an enhanced armed version acquired by various countries such as the Netherlands, Turkey, and some in South America. An estimate of 442 CW-22s was built in total.

The CW-22N designated by the United States Navy as SNC-1 Falcon is a two-crew trainer with an external length of 8.23 meters and a tail height of 3.02 meters. It has a wingspan of 10.67 meters and a wing area of 16.14 square meters. The empty weight is 1,241 kg and the gross weight is 1,718 kg.

The aircraft is powered by a single Wright R-975-28 Whirlwind engine. It is a nine-cylinder supercharged air-cooled radial piston engine with two pushrod-actuated valves per cylinder, a gear-driven supercharger, and a direct drive reduction gear. It produces a maximum takeoff thrust of 450 hp and a continuous thrust of 420 hp, and drives a two-bladed variable pitch metal propeller.

The CW-22 has a maximum speed of 172 knots at sea level and a travel range of 680 nautical miles. It can fly up to 21,800 feet and can climb at a rate of 1,650 feet per minute. The aircraft could be loaded with a single fixed forward-firing synchronized 7.6 mm machine gun and a single flexibly mounted 7.6 mm machine gun located in the rear cockpit.