Wright Aeronautical

Wright Aeronautical (1919–1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Paterson, New Jersey. It was the successor corporation to Wright-Martin. It built aircraft and was a supplier of aircraft engines to other builders in the golden age of aviation. Wright engines were used by Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh. In 1929, the company merged with Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation to form Curtiss-Wright.

History

In 1916, the Wright brothers' original aviation firm, the Wright Company, merged with Glenn L. Martin's firm, the Glenn L. Martin Company of California, to form the Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation. In September 1917, Martin resigned from Wright-Martin and re-formed an independent Glenn L. Martin Company of Ohio (later of Maryland). After World War I in 1919, Wright-Martin was renamed Wright Aeronautical. It moved to Paterson, New Jersey in 1919.

In February 1919, an airplane with a Wright engine broke the world's speed record at per hour.Van DeVenter, John H. Jr. "The Story of Wright Aero: Tracing the Growth of the Wright Aeronautical Corporation"." Air Transportation, December 22, 1928. via Internet Archive. In November 1920, an airplane with a 300-horsepower Wright engine came in second place in the first Pulitzer Trophy Race in Long Island, New York. Other planes using Wright engines came in fourth and fifth place in the race.

In 1920, Wright produced a cannon engine for the Army that allowed shells to be fired through the airplane's propeller. In 1921, a 300 horsepower engine by Wright again came in second place at the Pulitzer Trophy Race in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1921, Wright developed a new six-cylinder dirigible engine with 400 horsepower, testing it for nine months. In 1922, a plane with a Wright H-2 engine won the Mitchell Trophy Race.

In May 1923, Wright Aeronautical purchased the Lawrance Aero Engine Company, acquiring Charles Lawrance's J-1 radial engine. Lawrance became a vice president of Wright. In 1925, Wright's president, Frederick B. Rentschler, left the company to found Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company; Lawrance replaced him as company president. Rentschler poached several talented personnel from Wright to join his new firm.

Working off Lawrance's designs, Wright Aeronautical developed an air-cooled engine, the Model J Whirlwind series. In 1925, a Wright-Bellanca airplane won the Pulitzer Trophy Race using a Wright Whirlwind engine. In 1927, a Wright J-5C Whirlwind engine was used by Charles Lindbergh in the Spirit of St. Louis when he flew from New York City to Paris. Wright engines were also used by other famed aviators, including Richard E. Byrd, Clarence Chamberlin, and Amelia Earhart.

Wright Aeronautical merged with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company on July 5, 1929, to become the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Their engine divisions merged in 1931.

During World War II, the Paterson plant had 24,000 employees, working in three daily shifts. They made some 75,000 engines for the North American B-25, the Boeing B-17, and other aircraft. Wright also made engines for 44 commercial airlines and rocket engines for space travel. However, the Paterson plant closed in 1946.

Products

Aircraft Model name First flight Number built Type Wright F2W 1923 2 Single-engine biplane racer Dayton-Wright XO-3 1 Single-engine biplane observation airplane Wright XF3W 1926 1 Single-engine biplane racer Navy-Wright NW-1 1922 2 Single-engine monoplane racer Navy-Wright NW-2 1922 1 Single-engine biplane racer Wright-Bellanca WB-1 1925 1 Single-engine monoplane utility airplane Wright-Bellanca WB-2 Columbia 1926 1 Single-engine monoplane utility airplane Bellanca 77-140 Bomber 1934 Twin-engine monoplane bomber Wright WP-1 1922 1 License built a single-engine monoplane fighter

Aircraft engines Model nameIntroduced Type HorsepowerCoolingReferenceWright Acirca 1919V-8150liquid Cautley, J. R. ed. (1921). Wright Aircraft Engines: Complete Instructions for their installation, operation and maintenance. Paterson, N.J.: Wright Aeronautical Corporation. via HathiTrust.Wright BV-475liquidWright CV-8200liquidWright DV-8200liquidWright D-11920L-6350liquidWright E1919V-8150liquidWright E-1M Hurricane1925 – 1926V-8240marineWright E-2Before 1921V-8180liquid Wright E-3V-8189liquidWright E-4 Tempest 1922 – 1923 V-8200liquid Wright E-4M Gold CupV-8200-240marineWright FV-9150liquidWright H1920300liquidWright H-21920 V-8320liquid Wright H-2 Super FighterBefore 1921360 liquid Wright H-3Before 1921V-8300liquidWright H-3 Super FighterBefore 1921360liquidWright I1920150liquid Wright J-I1923airWright J-31924R-9200airWright J-4 Whirlwind1924R-9200airWright J-4B Whirlwind1925R-9200airWright J-5 Whirlwind / Wright R-7901925 – 1926R-9200airWright J-6 Whirlwind 5 / Wright R-5401928 – 1930R-5165-175 airWright J-6 Whirlwind 7 / Wright R-7601925R-7225-320airWright J-6 Whirlwind 9 / Wright R-9751928R-9300-420airWright J-6 Cyclonecirca 1928525airWright KliquidWright K-2liquidWright L-3 Galecirca 1923R-360airWright L-4 Galecirca 1923R-360airWright P-11925R-9406airWright P-21925 – 1926R-9435airWright R-11920 – 1923R-9350airWright R-1200 Simoon1925 – 1926R-9325air Wright R-1300 Cyclone1939 R-7 600air Wright R-1510 Whirlwind1933 R-14 600air Wright R-1670 Whirlwindcirca 1935 R-14 800airWright R-1750 Cyclone1927 – 1930R-9525air Wright R-1820 Cyclone1931 R-9 1,000air Wright R-2160 Tornado1940 R-42 2,350air Wright R-26001937 R-14 1,750air Wright R-3350 Cyclone1937 R-18 2,200air Wright R-4090 Cyclone1940s R-22 3,000airWright TV-12525liquidWright T-1 TornadoV-12600liquidWright T-1M Typhoon1924V-12500marineWright T-2 Tornado1922 – 1923V-12525liquidWright T-3 Tornado / Wright V-19501923V-12675liquidWright T-3A1924 – 1925V-12525liquidWright T-3M Typhoon600marineWright V-14601928V-12600liquid or airWright V-15601929 – 1930V-12600airWright Gipsy1929 – 1931L-485airWright-Gipsy L-3201927L-498airWright Morehouse WM-801926O-229air Wright J651951 Turbojet 7,239 lbf Wright J671950s, not produced Turbojet est. 15,000 lbfWright TJ32 Wright TJ38 Zephurnot produced Turbojet

Wright Aeronautical

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