While World War I was not the first war in which airplanes were used, it was the war the established the utility of airplanes in warfare. The most famous American airplane during this war was the Curtiss JN-4, Glenn Curtiss commissioned Benjamin Douglas Thomas, who had been with the English Sopwith Aviation Company, to design the plane. The plane, built for both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy combined the best features of the Curtiss Model J and Model N, hence the designation JN which led to it being nicknames the Jenny.
The first JN-2s were delivered to the U.S. Signal Corps in 1915 but were found to be unsafe. The improved JN-3 was used in the 1916-1917 invasion of Mexico. The success of the JN-3 led to the development of the JN-4 which was ordered by both the U.S. Army and the Royal Flying Corps for use in Canada.
Shown below are some of the museum displays of the Curtiss Jenny.
1917 Curtiss JN-4D Jenny
This airplane was on display in the Stonehenge Air Museum in Fortine, Montana. According to the display:
“More than ninety percent of all pilots trained in North America during the First World War received their primary instruction on the Jenny. The Jenny was designed as a trainer and not a fighter which precluded it from combat in Europe.”
The display also indicates:
“During the postwar period, the Jenny became the principal aircraft flown by barnstormers across the country. Americans, particularly in rural areas, thrilled to the antics of these pilots performing in the aerial circuses that toured the country during the 1920s. For many, the Jenny would be the first airplane that they would see close-up, and those with a few dollars in hand (and their fear in check) typically would make their first flight in a Jenny.”
Curtiss JN-4D Jenny
This airplane was on display in the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. This is one of America’s most famous airplanes and was used prior to World War I: the army flew it into Mexico in search of Pancho Villa in 1916. The JN-4 was a popular trainer and a total of 10,000 were built. At the end of the war, hundreds of the Jennys were declared surplus and sold. By the 1920s, the Jenny was a popular barnstorming plane.
1917 Curtiss JN-4D Jenny
This airplane was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum(WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
Curtiss JN-4 Jenny (Canuck)
This replica airplane was on display in the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
In 1915, Curtiss combined the best features of the model J and model N trainers and began producing the JN or “Jenny” series. In 1916, eight JN-3s were used in the American invasion of Mexico to fight against Pancho Villa. The success of this expedition led to the development of the JN-4 with orders from both the U.S. Army and the Royal Flying Corps in Canada. The Canadian version of the aircraft, commonly known as the Canuck, had a number of differences from the American version. This aircraft has a cruising speed of 60 mph, a top speed of 75 mph, and a range of 175 miles.
More Airplanes
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Stonehenge Air Museum: Biplanes (Photo Diary)
Evergreen Aviation: Biplanes (photo diary)
WAAAM: Curtiss-Wright Airplanes (Photo Diary)
WAAAM: Aeronca Airplanes (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: 1930s Biplanes (Photo Diary)
Planes of Fame: P-38 Lightning (Photo Diary)
Yanks Air Museum: World War II Fighters (Photo Diary)