Curtiss-Wright CW-22

The Curtiss-Wright CW-22 is a 1940s American general-purpose advanced training monoplane aircraft built by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. It was operated by the United States Navy as a scout trainer with the designation SNC-1 Falcon.

CW-22/SNC
A U.S. Navy SNC-1 in September 1943
General information
Type	Scout and advanced trainer
Manufacturer	Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Primary users	United States Navy Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
Number built	442 approx.
History
Introduction date	1942
First flight	1940
Developed from	Curtiss-Wright CW-19

Design and development

Developed at the Curtiss-Wright St. Louis factory, the CW-22 was developed from the CW-19 via the single-seat CW-21 light fighter-interceptor. The prototype first flew in 1940. With less power and performance than the CW-21, the two-seat, low-wing, all-metal CW-A22 had retractable tailwheel landing gear, with the main gear retracting rearward into underwing fairings.

The CW-22 was seen as either a civilian sport or training monoplane or suitable as a combat trainer, reconnaissance and general-purpose aircraft for military use. The prototype CW-A22 Falcon (U.S. civilian registration NC18067) was used as a company demonstrator and is one of four of the type still in existence.

Operational history

The main customer for the aircraft equipped with the Wright R-975 Whirlwind air-cooled radial engine was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force and 36 were exported. The aircraft had to be delivered to the Dutch in Australia due to the advancing Japanese forces. A developed version, the CW-22B, was sold to Turkey (50), the Netherlands East Indies (25) and in small numbers in South America. Some of the Dutch aircraft were captured and operated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. The CW-22 and CW-22B were armed with two machine guns, one fixed.^[1]

An unarmed advanced training version (CW-22N) was demonstrated to the United States Navy. To help to meet the expanding need for training, the Navy ordered 150 aircraft in November 1940. Further orders brought the total to 305 aircraft which were designated SNC-1 Falcon.^[2]

Curtiss converted a CW-19 into a CW-22 demonstrator. They hoped to use this to sell the CW-22 to China. The aircraft was obtained by the Burma Volunteer Air Force, and later used by the Royal Air Force in India. It was scrapped in 1946.^[3]

Variants

A U.S. Navy SNC-1 in April 1942

Refueling of an SNC-1 at NAS Corpus Christi, 1942

SNC-1 on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation

CW-A22

Prototype

CW-22

Production armed variant for the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force, 36 built.

CW-22B

Improved armed variant, approx 100 built.

SNC-1 Falcon (CW-22N)

United States Navy designation for the CW-22N, 305 built (BuNo 6290-6439, 05085-05234, 32987-32991).

Operators

 Bolivia

• The Bolivian Air Force operated 10 aircraft.^[4]

British Burma

• Burma Volunteer Air Force ^[5]

Dutch East Indies

• Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force

Japan

• The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force operated captured ex-Dutch aircraft.

 Peru

 Turkey

• Turkish Air Force

 United Kingdom

• The Royal Air Force in India operated the former Burma Volunteer Air Force aircraft

 United States

• United States Navy

 Uruguay

• Uruguayan Air Force 9 SNC-1 aircraft operated from 1942 to 1951.

Surviving aircraft

Turkey

• s/n 2615 – CW-22B on static display at the Istanbul Aviation Museum in Istanbul.^[6]

United States

• c/n A22-1 – CW-22 owned by the Collings Foundation in Stow, Massachusetts.^[7]
• c/n 3707 – CW-22 in storage at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.^[8]
• BuNo 05194 – SNC-1 on static display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.^[9]

Uruguay

• SNC-1 on display at the Colonel Jaime Meregalli Aeronautical Museum in Ciudad de la Costa, Canelones.^[10]

Specifications (SNC-1)

3-view line drawing of the Curtiss SNC-1 Falcon

Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947,^[11] The encyclopedia of world aircraft^[12]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 27 ft 0 in (8.23 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
• Height: 9 ft 11 in (3.02 m)
• Wing area: 173.7 sq ft (16.14 m²)
• Airfoil: Curtiss CW-19 Special^[13]
• Empty weight: 2,736 lb (1,241 kg)
• Gross weight: 3,788 lb (1,718 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-975-28 Whirlwind 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 450 hp (340 kW) for take-off; 420 hp (310 kW) max continuous
• Propellers: 2-bladed variable-pitch metal propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 198 mph (319 km/h, 172 kn) at sea level
• Range: 780 mi (1,260 km, 680 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 21,800 ft (6,600 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,650 ft/min (8.4 m/s)

Armament

• Guns: 1x fixed forward-firing synchronised 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine-gun and 1x flexibly mounted 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine-gun in the rear cockpit

See also

Related lists

• List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962)