The Curtiss "Jenny" was America's most famous World War I fighter aircraft. It was developed by combining the best parts of the Curtiss "J" and "N" model aircraft. An earlier model, the JN-3, was used in 1916 during Army General John J. Pershing's Punitive Expedition into Mexico. The poor performance of this aircraft made it unsuitable for field operations.

The JN-3 was modified in 1916 with improved performance and was redesignated as the JN-4. After the start of World War I on April 8th, 1917 the Army Signal Corps began ordering large numbers of the JN-4, and by the end of the war over 6,000 had been delivered.

The JN-4 was primarily used for flight training, but some were equipped with bomb racks and machine guns for advanced training. After the war hundreds were sold to civilians and the airplane soon became the mainstay of the "barnstormers" of the 1920's and 1930's.

The basic specifications for the aircraft were as follow:

• Primary trainer
• Wingspan was 43' 7"
• Length was 27' 4"
• Height was 9' 10"
• Maximum Takeoff Weight was 1,430 pounds
• Engines were the OX-5 with 90 horsepower (Note: There is an OX-5 society and I have provided a link about that organization)
• Maximum speed was 75 mph
• Range was 2 1/2 hours
• Cost new was $ 5,465

This document shows the ignition system for the aircraft. To start the aircraft the propellor would be pulled through several times, a command to turn the switch "ON" was given and then the propellor was spun by hand to start the engine.

This document shows the aircraft flight control system for the JN-4 in detail. As you can see, it was straightforward and simple.

The OX-5 Society Link

Inspecting an early aircraft before flight

Curtiss JN-4 Pictures

Centennial Off Flight

Curtiss JN-4 Exhibit at the Golden Age Museum