The Curtiss 18T, unofficially known as the Wasp and by the United States Navy as the Kirkham,[1] was an early American triplanefighter aircraft designed by Curtiss for the US Navy.
The Curtiss 18T was intended to protect bombing aircraft over France, and a primary requisite for this job was speed. Speed was not the triplane's only salient feature: an 18T-2 set a new altitude record in 1919 of 34,910ft (10,640m).[2] The streamlined and very "clean" fuselage contributed to the aircraft's performance. The basic construction was based on cross-laminated strips of wood veneer formed on a mold and attached to the inner structure. The technique was a refinement of that used on the big Curtiss flying boats.[3]
Operational history
Flown by Roland Rholfs, the 18T achieved a world speed record of 163mph (262km/h) in August 1918 carrying a full military load of 1,076lb (488kg).[4]
The Model 18T-2 was an improved version of its predecessor, with 50 additional horsepower. The wings of the new model were swept back. It was also 5ft (150cm) longer with a 9ft (270cm) larger two-bay wing, though its operational ceiling was 2,000ft (610m) lower.
After World War I, it was employed as a racing plane: an 18T-2 nearly won the Curtiss Marine Trophy Race in 1922 (limited to U.S. Navy pilots), but the pilot, Lt. Sanderson ran out of fuel just before the finish line.[5]
Curtiss Engineering followed the Model 18T with the Model 18B, unofficially known as the "Hornet", built to otherwise similar specifications.
Variants
Model 18T or 18T-1
Two-seat fighter triplane with single-bay wings, powered by a 400hp (300kW)Curtiss K-12 piston engine. Referred to by the US Navy as the "Kirkham". Originally designated 18T, the type was redesignated the 18T-1 when the prototype was modified to a new configuration designated 18T-2 (see below).
Model 18T-2
18T with longer-span two-bay wings. Could be fitted with floatplane or landplane landing gear.
Model 18B
Biplane fighter version, known unofficially as the "Hornet". Sole flying prototype of Curtiss 18B, USAAS 40058, 'P-86', crashed early in flight trials at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, summer 1919. Type not ordered into production. One non-flying prototype also delivered for static testing.[6]
Angelucci, Enzo and Peter Bowers. The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present. New York: Orion Books, 1985. ISBN0-517-56588-9.
Bowers, Peter M.Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN0-370-10029-8.
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