The Orenco D was an American biplane fighter aircraft, designed by Orenco and built by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. It was the first fighter type of completely indigenous design (as opposed to foreign types or American-built versions of foreign types) to enter US military service.
Development The D prototype was offered to the US Army Air Service at the end of 1918. It was a two-bay biplane of all-wood construction, covered with fabric. It was powered by a Hispano-Suiza engine. The pilot of the first flight test, Clarence B. Coombs, gave it a positive evaluation: "This aircraft performs better than the Sopwith Camel and Snipe, the Thomas-Morse, the Nieuport and Morane Parasol, the Spad and S.V.A." The military ordered 50 production aircraft, but put the production order up for bidding. Curtiss Aircraft entered the lowest bid and built the fighter, modifying it slightly with a wider wingspan and redesigned ailerons.Angelucci, 1987. p. 119. The first Curtiss Orenco D flew on 26 August 1921.
Variants Orenco D Prototype, four built
Curtiss Orenco D Production aircraft, 50 built
Orenco D-2 Prototype based on Curtiss Orenco D. three built, under military designation PW-3.
Operators
United States Army Air Service
Specifications Data from: Flight: The Aircraft Engineer & Airships, "Some 'Orenco' (U.S.A) Aeroplanes", 1 April 1920, pp. 363–366.
Curtiss Orenco D
Data quoted here may differ in some respects from that quoted by Angelucci.
General characteristics
crew: one length: Height: Upper Wing Span: Area: Lower wing Span: Area: Total wing area (including ailerons): Wing gap: Wing stagger: Empty weight: Gross weight: Powerplant: one × Wright-Hispano H Fuel Capacity:
Performance
Speed At sea level: At : Time to climb To : 4 min 20 s To : 8 min 54 s To : 16 min 45 s Service ceiling: Range at full speed:
Armament
2 × machine guns
Orenco D2
General characteristics
crew: one length: Height: Upper Wing Span: Area: Lower wing Span: Area: Total wing area (including ailerons): Wing gap: Wing stagger: Empty weight: Gross weight: Powerplant: one × Wright-Hispano H Fuel Capacity:
Performance
Speed At sea level: At : Time to climb To : 4 min To : 8 min 30 s To : 13 min 50 s Range at full speed:
References
Bibliography
External links