Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

(CW-21) Single-seat fighter

Power Plant:

One 746 kw (1,000 hp) Wright R-1820-G5 Cyclone nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

Four 7.7 mm (0.303 in) fixed machine-guns in forward fuselage

History:

The CW-21 series was designed and built by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation at its St Louis Airplane Division in Missouri in the 1930s, the first model in the series being the CW-19R, a two-seat general purpose training monoplane powered by a 336 kw (450 hp) Wright R-975-E3 Whirlwind radial engine. This model had a fixed spatted cantilever undercarriage and provision for a combination of guns and racks were provided for light bombs. A small number were supplied to the US Navy as the SNC-1 Falcon.

The next model was the Curtiss-Wright CW-21, a single-seat fighter of similar dimensions fitted with a 709 kw (950 hp) Wright R-1820-G5 Cyclone radial engine, which was designed as a lightweight interceptor, the prototype NX18067 being first flown in January 1939 fitted with retractable single-strut main undercarriage members which folded back to be enclosed in fairings under the wings.

The Model CW-21B was an improved variant aimed at reducing the drag caused by the wheel fairings, and two prototypes were built, the second NX19442 (c/n 21-1) being demonstrated to the US Navy at Anacostia in Washington DC in March 1940. After this it demonstrated some shortcomings, and two new variants were submitted, the Model P247-1 based on the CW-21A with an Allison V-1710 VEE 12-cylinder engine; and the P250 based on the CW-21B with a Wright R-1820 radial engine fitted with a turbo-supercharger. However, no orders were placed by the US Navy but orders were placed for this series by Bolivia, Peru and Turkey.

The CW-22 was an advanced trainer variant with the Wright R-975 radial engine; and the CW-23 was a combat trainer variant or two-seat fighter with the undercarriage fairings deleted, the wheels on this variant retracting into wheel-wells in the fuselage. The Dutch CW-22s had provision for a single 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine-gun in the forward fuselage, and a similar weapon on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit.

The Chinese Government ordered three complete Model CW-21s, a set of tools and drawings, and 32 disassembled fighters to be completed by the Chinese Aircraft Manufacturing Company at LoiWing.

The Netherlands East Indies Government (NEI) ordered 24 Model 21Bs in 1940, the first reaching the East Indies in June 1940. Fifteen were on strength when Japan declared war, these aircraft seeing action for the first time on 3 February 1942 in Java. At least one of those which survived was put into service by Japanese forces.

It would seem the NEI Government also ordered some 36 CW-22Bs on 8 December 1941 but not all of these had been delivered at the time of the Japanese attack and the two ships carrying this batch of CW-22Bs, the ‘Tjilatjap’ [14 aircraft] and the ‘Sloterdijk’ [7 aircraft] were diverted to Australia, arriving in Fremantle, where they were unloaded and put into United States Army Air Force (USAAF) service. These aircraft were for delivery to the NEIAF in late 1941 or early 1942 but only four reached Tjilatjap on the south coast of Java and the vessels left without unloading their cargo. The aircraft saw some service and a number were lost in accidents, these including serial 3771, damaged on 29 January 1943 and lost on 5 December 1943; 771 on 29 February 1943; 65-3761 on 6 August 1943; and 65-33765 on 12 July 1943.

Little is known about this series of aircraft in Australia, probably as they were not used in combat. However, it is known the 35th Pursuit Group of the USAAF operated the CW-22B. This unit had 12 aircraft on strength, the total USAAF inventory on 31 May 1942 being 14 aircraft. One was for a period used as the personal aircraft of Lieutenant Shoupe of the USAAF operating from Fenton in the Northern Territory but this aircraft was destroyed during a Japanese strafing attack on 30 June 1943. One was operated from the Stock Route Strip and later Charters Towers, QLD. One (serial 3770) was photographed at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation plant at Fishermens Bend in USAAF markings. Serial numbers of those serviced at Fishermens Bend included 3785, 3764 (named ‘Dumbo’), and AC4263.

Another (serial 3777) was used as a utility “hack” aircraft based at Eagle Farm, QLD this aircraft being named ‘June Bug’. In March 1944 at least one CW-22B was still flying with the 60th Depot Group at Port Moresby, PNG. USAAF CW-22s in Australia included serials 3536, 3758, 3760, 3761, 3762, 3765, 3766, 3767, 3768, 3770, 3774, 3776 and 3777. Serial 3536 was noted on Group strength lists but this may be an error. Serial 3604 is known to be the CW-22B with the US civil registration N18067 so it would seem the serial numbers were also the manufacturer’s airframe number, this being common practice when fiscal year serial numbers were not available. They may have been used also for refresher training from Townsville, QLD. Serial 3778 suffered an accident on 2 January 1943, serial 3771 on 29 January 1943, 29 February 1943, and 5 December 1943; and serial 3761 on 5 August 1943.

It is known a few CW-22Bs were captured o  Java and operated by the Japanese, having been left behind by NEI forces. Records indicate the type was also used in Australia by the 49th American Pursuit Group. The wreckage of one was located in recent years near Magnetic Island, this being serial 3771. This aircraft had an engine failure and ditched in the ocean on 5 December 1943, the pilot, Captain Richard Sansing surviving the crash. This aircraft is also known to have previously had a forced landing on a beach at Townsville on 29 January 1943.

After World War II three CW-22 Falcons were placed on the US Civil Register but it appears they have not survived. One CW-19R was located in Bolivia in the 1990s and (as N19RX) has been restored to airworthy condition. A CW-22 (B2-205) was restored at the Museo Aeronautico Montevideo in Uruguay, but was lost when the arc-lights of a film crew filming the aircraft heated the fuselage fabric to the point where it ignited and the aircraft was seriously damaged by the subsequent fire.