Curtiss Model JN "Jenny"

The Model JN was created in 1915 for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Eight planes were purchased, and two were sent to Mexico in 1916 as observation aircraft, becoming the first aircraft to fly combat operations for the United States.

Quickly dubbed the "Jenny," the biplane was used widely. During WWI, it was used to train 95% of all American and Canadian pilots for the war. In the interwar years, it continued to be used by the military until 1927, but was made famous by barnstormers, aerial pageants, and air shows throughout the United States.

The plane uses 3.35 gallons of aviation fuel per hour at routine usage. A full load of fuel costs $4.

Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny"

Subassemblies: Recon Fighter chassis +2; Light Fighter wings with Biplane option +2; 2 fixed wheels +0.

Powertrain: 67-kW HP gasoline engine with 67-kW old prop and 20-gallon fuel tank [Body].

Occ.: 2 XCS Body

Cargo: 6 Body

Armor F RL B T U

Body: 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C

Wings: 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C 1/2C

Wheels: 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3

Equipment:

Body: Backup driver option.

Statistics:

Size: 27'x43'x10' Payload: 0.27 tons Lwt.: 0.96 tons

Volume: 96 Maint.: 91 hours Cost: $4,856

HT: 8. HPs: 15 Body, 135 each Wing, 3 each Wheel.

aSpeed: 75 aAccel: 2 aDecel: 50 aMR: 12 aSR: 1

Stall Speed: 32 mph. Take Off Run: 146 yards. Landing Run: 102 yards.

gSpeed: 133 gAccel: 7 gDecel: 10 gMR: 1.25 gSR: 2

Ground Pressure: High. 1/6 Off-Road Speed.

Design Notes:

Historical wing area was 352 sf. Design loaded weight was 2,202 lbs.; it was decreased 12% to the historical. Design aSpeed as 70 mph. Historical values were used for all calculations when available. A 30-gallon fuel tank was purchased for the design; the historical 20- gallon capacity is shown. Although this plane was given a Backup Driver option, not all models had them. Using the calculated gSpeed at 1/6 Off-Road speed (22 mph) gSpeed is 69% of stall speed, just shy of the 71% needed to become airborne Off-Road. A tail wind of less than 1mph would make this possible, however.

Variants:

The Model J and Model N planes were used as the basis for the JN. The Model J Modified became the JN-2. This was the version of the plane used in the Mexican war. 91 were purchased by the U.S. Army.

The JN-3 was an interim model. Two were purchased by the U.S. Army.

The JN-4A (1916) was sold to the UK (105 planes) and U.S. Army (21 planes).

The JN-4B (1916) featured changes to the tailplane and a new engine. It was sold to private flight schools as well as the U.S. military.

The JN-4C was an experimental model, of which 2 were built.

The JN-4D was also variously known as the Model 1C and the JN-4 Can "Canuck" in Canada.

The JN-4D-2 was a single prototype.

The JN-4H featured a larger 112-kW engine.

The JN-4HT was a dual-control model.

The JN-4HB was a bombing trainer version.

The JN-4HG was a gunnery trainer version.

The JN-5H was an advanced trainer rejected in favor of the Vought VE-7.

The JN-6H featured a number of variants: the JN-6HB single-control bomber trainer, the JN-6HG-1 dual-control trainer, the JN-6HG-2 single-control gunnery trainer, the JN-6HO single-control observation trainer, and the JN-6HP single-control pursuit fighter trainer.

The JNS (1926) was a result of Army programs to upgrade the craft with a 134-kW engine to "modernize" the plane rather than purchase new designs.

From the Aerodrome for GURPS