Curtiss Wright CW 22

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. An SNC-1 is on display at the U.S. Navy's National Museum of Naval Aviation, at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

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.

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.

Variants

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

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 States

United States Navy

 Uruguay

Uruguayan Air Force

Survivors

One surviving CW-22 is at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, FL. It is on display in their "Golden Hill" storage facility awaiting its restoration to flying status.

Surviving CW-22R No. 15 located in Istanbul Aviation Museum.

Surviving SNC-1 located at the Uruguayan Aeronautical Museum, Air Force Base 1, Carrasco Int'l Airport, near Montevideo capital city.

Specifications (SNC-1)

Data from

General characteristics

Crew: Two

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: 173.70 ft² (16.14 m²)

Empty weight: 2,736 lb (1,241 kg)

Gross weight: 3,788 lb (1,718 kg)

Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-975-28 Whirlwind radial piston engine, 420 hp (313 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 198 mph (319 km/h)

Range: 780 miles (1,255 km)

Service ceiling: 21,800 ft (6,645 m)

Rate of climb: 1,650 ft/min (8.4 m/s)