Curtiss Model L

Model L

Role	Trainer Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Curtiss
First flight	1916
Status	retired
Primary users	US Army US Navy

The Curtiss Model L was a triplane trainer aircraft in the United States in 1916 by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York.

Development

It was a largely conventional design with the upper two wings of equal span and a shorter-span lower wing, the Model L had a wide, open cockpit that accommodated the student and instructor side by side, an unusual feature for its time which gained the aircraft the nickname "Sociable Triplane". Apart from private sales, Curtiss sold a number to both the United States Army and Navy. These differed from their civil counterparts in having lower wings of equal span to the upper two. The three sold to the Navy were equipped as floatplanes.

The wings from one of the Army's examples were mated to the fuselage of a Curtiss Jenny to produce the single example of the X-1 trainer. Model L wings were also used by Curtiss for the creation of the Autoplane roadable aircraft, as well as being mated to a Model F hull to create the Curtiss FL.

Variants

Model L - civil trainer version
Model L-1 - military version
Model L-2 - military version, some equipped with floats

Operators

United States

United States Army
United States Navy

Specifications

General characteristics

Crew: two, pilot and instructor
Length: 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)
Wingspan: 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss OX-2 , 90 hp (67 kW)

Performance

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtiss Model L.

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 282.
aerofiles.com

Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright aircraft

Manufacturer
designations

Early types	Golden Flier Reims Racer Beachey Special
Model letters	C D E F FL GS H HA HS J JN -5 -6H K L MF N NC O R S T
Model numbers	1 B F 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 K/P 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 A B 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 I P S 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
"L" series	L-17 L-18 L-19 L-22 L-41 L-44 L-72 L-79 L-85 L-115 L-117 L-710
"CA" series	CA-1
"CR" series	CR-1 CR-2
"CW" series	CW-1 CW-2 CW-3 CW-4 CW-5 CW-6 CW-8 CW-9 CW-10 CW-11 CW-12 CW-14 CW-15 CW-16 CW-17 CW-18² CW-19 CW-20 CW-21 CW-22 CW-23 CW-24 CW-25 CW-26 CW-27 CW-28 CW-29 CW-32 CW-33 CW-40
"P" series	P-200 P-202 P-212 P-218 P-219 P-222 P-223 P-224 P-225 P-227 P-228 P-229 P-232 P-235 P-238 P-239 P-240 P-241 P-243 P-244 P-245 P-247 P-248 P-249 P-250 P-251 P-252 P-253 P-254 P-255 P-256 P-257 P-259 P-261 P-264 P-268 P-269 P-272 P-273 P-274 P-275 P-276 P-277 P-278 P-279 P-280 P-282 P-283 P-291 P-292 P-293 P-295 P-296 P-297 P-298 P-299 P-302 P-303 P-304 P-305 P-306 P-307 P-509 P-517 P-518 P-538 P-539 P-541 P-545 P-551 P-558 P-565 P-586 P-588 P-592
"X" series	X-100 X-200 X-300 X-410 X-425

Operator and role

Civil

Experimental	No. 1 Model C SX-5-1 Tanager
Racers and record	No. 2 Cox Racer CW-B-14R
Airliners	Eagle Condor 18 Condor II Kingbird Thrush Commando
Utility	Model D Model E Model F Carrier Pigeon Falcon Robin Lark 6B CW-12 CW-14 Sportsman CW-15 Sedan CW-16 CW-19W

Army

Ground attack	A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-8 YA-10 A-12 YA-14 A-18 A-25 A-40 XA-43
Bombers	NBS-1 B-2 XNBS-4
Transports	XC-10 C-30 Condor C-46 Commando C-55 Commando C-76 C-113 Commando
Fighters	S 18 PN-1 PW-8 P-1 to P-5 P-6 XP-10 P-11 P-14² P-17 XP-18² XP-19² YP-20 XP-21 XP-22 XP-23 XP-31 P-36 YP-37 P-40 XP-42 XP-46 XP-53 XP-55 YP-60 XP-62 XP-71 XP-87
Observation	O-1 O-11 O-12 O-13 O-16 O-18 O-24² O-26 XO-30² O-39 O-40 O-52
Racers	R-6 R-8
Trainers	J L JN Fledgling AT-4 Hawk AT-5 Hawk BT-4 AT-9 Jeep
Experimental	X-19
Licensed	USAO-1 NBS-1/Model 30

Navy

Bombers	CT BFC BF2C SBC SB2C XSB3C² XBTC XBT2C
Fighters	HA GS TS-1 FC F2C F3C F4C F5C¹ F6C F7C F8C F9C F10C F11C XF12C F13C XF14C XF15C
Observation/scout	CS/SC S2C XS3C S4C SC OC O2C O3C SOC SO2C SO3C
Trainers	N-9 N2C SNC
Transports	RC R4C R5C
Maritime patrol	H-16 F5L HS-1L & HS-2L
Racers and record	NC CR R2C R3C

Export

Bombers	Canada CW-14 Osprey
Maritime patrol	H-2, H-4, H-8 and H-16 F5L HS-2L
Fighters	CW-17 Pursuit Osprey² CW-21 Demon
Trainers	Canuck CW-14 Osprey CW-16 CW-18² CW-22