Curtiss JN-4 “Canuck”

  • Period: First World War (1914-1918)
  • Uses: Trainer
  • First Flight: January 1917
  • Display Status: On the Museum Floor.

The JN-4 (Can) Canuck was a Canadian modification of the Curtiss JN-3 trainer, developed to meet Royal Flying Corps specifications. It was the first aircraft to go into mass production in Canada; about 1 210 were built by Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd in Toronto. Large numbers were used for military training both in Canada and the United States. Many were subsequently sold as war surplus. Because of its availability and low price, the JN-4 (Can) was the preferred mount of many barnstormers in the decade after the war.

The Canuck had ailerons in both the top and bottom wings which provided better lateral control than would have been available with upper-wing ailerons only. The JN-4 (Can) recorded more Canadian firsts than any other aircraft: for example, first mass-produced aircraft, first exported in large quantities, first military flying, first ski flying, first airmail, first aerial survey, and first flight across the Canadian Rockies.

Museum Example

  • Registration #: C227 (RFC)
  • Manufacturer: Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd., Canada
  • Manufacture Date: 1918
  • Construction #: Unknown
  • Aquisition Date: 1962
  • Provenance: Purchase

Manufactured in late 1918, the Museum’s Canuck was operated by the US Air service during First World War, then sold as war surplus. It was stored in a barn in 1932, where it remained until purchased by the Museum in 1962. It was restored at the Museum between 1964 and 1967.

Specifications

Wing Span:
13.3 m (43 ft 7 3/8 in)
Length:
8.3 m (27 ft 2 1/2 in)
Height:
3 m (9 ft 11 in)
Weight, Empty:
630 kg (1,390 lb)
Weight, Gross:
875 kg (1,930 lb)
Cruising Speed:
97 km/h (60 mph)
Max Speed:
119 km/h (74 mph)
Rate of Climb:
762 m (2,500 ft) / 10 min
Service Ceiling:
3,350 m (11,000 ft)
Range:
250 km (155 mi)
Power Plant:
one Curtiss OX-5, 90 hp, V-8 engine