Curtiss CW-21 Demon

This little plane was endowed with a phenomenal rate of climb (4,500 fpm+). Three were sent to the AVG in China. Gen. Chennault intended to use them to get on top of attacking zero formations and dive from the top to scatter them, and then letting P-40s finish the attack. Unfortunately all three were lost on a delivery flight. I have heard three different versions, but contaminated fuel was one possibility.
 
The CW-21 was also used by the air force of the Netherlands East Indies (ML-KIL).
The CW-21 was first demonstrated in the NEI from 18 to 27 June 1939 but, as the ML-KNIL was interested in twin engined escort fighters, no ordered was placed. In January 1940 the type was demonstrated in The Netherlands and, after an offer by Curtiss to deliver 36 aircraft immediately, 24 were ordered on 8 April 1940. With the outbreak of the May 1940 war, these aircraft were diverted to the NEI on 24 May 1940, with deliveries starting in August 1940.
Whilst test flown in the US the first two aircraft carried serials C-338 and C-339.
The ML-KNIL put them into service with 2-VLG-VI and the aircraft carried serials CW-343/366. An additional request for another 24 aircraft was not approved.
By the time of the Japanese invasion only 17 aircraft remained in a serviceable condition. Eleven CW-21Bs were lost in combat of which nine on 3 February 1942 at Soerabaja, including CW-347 (at Madoera) and CW-354 (at Perak). Other losses included CW-363 (24 February 1942 at Lembang) and CW-366 (on an unknown date) whilst another CW-21B was shot down on 5 March 1942. One aircraft is believed to have been crashed en route from Andir to Tjililitan on 5 February 1942 whilst one was shot down at Andir on 3 March 1942.
Of the remaining aircraft, only two were serviceable at the time of the surrender. They were captured and flown by the Japanese. One of these was found in Singapore after the September 1945 surrender.
The fate of the other aircraft is not known but they were most likely rendered inoperable or destroyed through enemy action.
 
Original Curtiss Wright Designation/Production chart shows the following for the CW-21.

In 1938 one was sent to China under S.O. D-5. It was built at St. Louis and powered by a Wright R-1820-65

In 1939, under S.O. D-8, 3 were built for China, and with SO D-9 and SO D-10 , Curtiss built 32 sets of material and one set of tools for China, with Model specs 21-Z4 & 7737, with same Wright R-1820-65.

CW production chart column for CW21A *with Allison engine, says “The Chinese 21 is sometimes erroneously referred to as 21A” and lists the 21A a “proposal of a 21B,with flush landing gear. Designation was later changed to P-248A.”

21B listed as 1940 with 25 built at St. Louis, under S.O. D-12 for Netherlands E. Indies, with Model specs 21-Z5 & 21-Z51 (hard to tell if it is a typed one or a small “L”-but it matches the numeral one, in other places on the page.)These were powered by a Wright 1820-G-5
 
Here some additional info -Post-1
From
-Le Fanatique de l'Aviation Février 2001
-Air Enthusiast-Sixteen
-Cazas 1919-39 by Kenneth Munson-Ed.San Martin 1971
-Packfile nº1
-APMA 3-85
-Model Aire International
-Bob Banka Collection
-Unknown source
 

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Here some additional info -Post-2
From
-Le Fanatique de l'Aviation Février 2001
-Air Enthusiast-Sixteen
-Cazas 1919-39 by Kenneth Munson-Ed.San Martin 1971
-Packfile nº1
-APMA 3-85
-Model Aire International
-Bob Banka Collection
-Unknown source
 

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Here some additional info -Post-3
From
-Le Fanatique de l'Aviation Février 2001
-Air Enthusiast-Sixteen
-Cazas 1919-39 by Kenneth Munson-Ed.San Martin 1971
-Packfile nº1
-APMA 3-85
-Model Aire International
-Bob Banka Collection
-Unknown source
 

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Here some additional info -Post-4
From
-Le Fanatique de l'Aviation Février 2001
-Air Enthusiast-Sixteen
-Cazas 1919-39 by Kenneth Munson-Ed.San Martin 1971
-Packfile nº1
-APMA 3-85
-Model Aire International
-Bob Banka Collection
-Unknown source
 

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Brilliant as usual... Perhaps this post could be renamed "Curtiss CW-21 Demon and CW-22 Falcon" ?
 
Not really X-planes, but a fascinating topic nonetheless. I've always liked these delicate looking birds.

My contribution:

Interceptor:

interceptor_01.jpg


interceptor_02.jpg


interceptor_03.jpg


interceptor_04.jpg


interceptor_captured.jpg



Falcon:

falcon_01.jpg


falcon_02.jpg


falcon_03.jpg


falcon_04.jpg


falcon_captured.jpg




PS. Please note that the CW-21b as used by the Dutch was a good bit different from the CW-21. One of the main differences was the new landing gear arrangement.

PPS. One of the "Scale Drawings of Memorable Aircraft" volumes from Model Art has fantastic scale drawings of the Interceptor and Falcon. Interesting really, seeing as this book is made in Japan and the Japanese captured some examples of both planes in the NEI. I wonder what data they have about these birds in their archives...(!)
 
I am just asking;


the twin engined variant is completely fake design,am I right ?,please see;


http://p-d-m.livejournal.com/336146.html
 
hesham said:
the twin engined variant is completely fake design,am I right ?,please see;

Completely imaginary. The author/artist even says: "I've increased the tail's size. Perhaps this way it will fly!"

I think you really should be using Google Translate more systematically...
1°) Go to https://translate.google.com/
2°) Paste original text in text box.
3°) Select original language over text box.
4°) Select your language over the gray area.
5°) Click the translate button and see the results.
6°) If not very good, click in the gray box on certain words to see possible alternate translations.

Hope this helps.
 
Thank you my dear Stargazer,


I want only to check,I know it's fake,but we faced many twin engined version developed
from famous single engined aircraft and not known or little known,such as Curtiss P-40.
 
hesham said:
Thank you my dear Stargazer

It's Skyblazer now... To me, the "Stargazer" has always been Burt Rutan, that's the name I gave him on the eponymous website, and it should stay that way... ;)
 
Not a project, but the CW-25 (AT-9) shows some signs of possibly being a descendant of some of the earlier CW series and has a general configuration that might resemble a twin engine version of the CW-21.

Best Regards,

Artie Bob
 
Re: Curtiss CW-21 was NOT the "Demon"

Curtiss never named this aircraft. However, a crated CW-21 had DEMON sprayed on it, short for DEMONSTRATOR, that was being shipped to a recipient that I cannot recall off the top of my head.
In the same manner so many other "facts" have been distributed (like all Consolidated B-24Js had Consolidated/Southern Aircraft nose turrets and all Hs the Emerson - half correct), so has this misidentification become Truth.
AlanG
 
Re: Curtiss CW-21 was NOT the "Demon"

ACResearcher said:
Curtiss never named this aircraft. However, a crated CW-21 had DEMON sprayed on it, short for DEMONSTRATOR, that was being shipped to a recipient that I cannot recall off the top of my head.
In the same manner so many other "facts" have been distributed (like all Consolidated B-24Js had Consolidated/Southern Aircraft nose turrets and all Hs the Emerson - half correct), so has this misidentification become Truth.
AlanG

Very similar to how tanks became christened "tanks". Originally, the tank hulls were shipped with the words "St.Petersburg" and "water tank" on them with the cover story being they were "water tanks" for Russia. So the nickname "tank" stuck and that is what they've been known as ever since.
 
Re: Curtiss CW-21 was NOT the "Demon"

ACResearcher said:
Curtiss never named this aircraft. However, a crated CW-21 had DEMON sprayed on it, short for DEMONSTRATOR, that was being shipped to a recipient that I cannot recall off the top of my head.
In the same manner so many other "facts" have been distributed (like all Consolidated B-24Js had Consolidated/Southern Aircraft nose turrets and all Hs the Emerson - half correct), so has this misidentification become Truth.
AlanG

Very interesting. I wasn't aware of that story but have always wondered how Curtiss, whose aircraft were mostly named after birds, could have come up with such a weird monicker. Now it all makes sense: they didn't!!
 
The AT-9 used the CW-21/22 wings as the outer panels and I believe the tail as well. somewhat relatedly, the Commonwealth Woomera, an indigenous design, used the wings of the Wirraway(NA Texan license) as the outer panels, and the tail also looks simular.
 
Cutaway Curtiss Wright CW-21B:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7465/15845578060_a828119af6_o.jpg

Success
 
tallguy: Any source for the claim that the Woomera used Wirraway outer panels? CAC certainly took direct inspiration from NA-16/Wirraway construction but it seems highly unlikely that actual Wirraway outer wing panels were used to create the CA-4 Woomera.

Derek Buckmaster (of DB Design Bureau) noted that "both have the same leading edge sweep and single-spar construction, but that's where the similarities end. The Woomera has a forward-swept trailing edge, and closer spaced ribs (hence stronger construction)."

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=30195

That "forward-swept trailing edge" may just be the result of an inaccurate CAC drawing. But rib spacing differences are harder to get around.
 
From American Secret Pusher Fighters of World War II: XP-54, XP-55, and XP-56, by Gerald Balzer

R40-C submission, essentially a V-1710 powered CW-21B
 

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tallguy said:
The AT-9 used the CW-21/22 wings as the outer panels and I believe the tail as well.
and the related SNC-1 version. Here is a original Curtiss archives photo showing the AT-9 production line, right next to CW-22/SNC-1?.
 

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Wing loading and the air foil ?

If you're asking about the CW-25 (AT-9) Jeep's airfoil, it was NACA 23015.9 (at the wing root) and NACA 4410 (at the tips) according to David Lednicer's Airfoils of U S and Canadian Aircraft.

If its the CW-21 that you're after, the Demon used an inhouse Curtiss CW-19 Special' airfoil. Same source: -- http://www.aerofiles.com/airfoils.html

Oddly, the wing loadings for the CW-21 and CW-25 were identical - 25.83 lb/sq.ft / 126 kg/sq.m
-- Info from All-Aero ...
 
Wing loading and the air foil ?

If you're asking about the CW-25 (AT-9) Jeep's airfoil, it was NACA 23015.9 (at the wing root) and NACA 4410 (at the tips) according to David Lednicer's Airfoils of U S and Canadian Aircraft.

If its the CW-21 that you're after, the Demon used an inhouse Curtiss CW-19 Special' airfoil. Same source: -- http://www.aerofiles.com/airfoils.html

Oddly, the wing loadings for the CW-21 and CW-25 were identical - 25.83 lb/sq.ft / 126 kg/sq.m
-- Info from All-Aero ...
CW-21....looks like a 23015 ?

Is the top speeed 504 kph or something else ?

 
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Bf 109G-6 length 8m95 span 9m93 empty weight 2247 kg
CW-21B length 8m29 span 10m67 empty weight 1534 kg
 
Interesting airplane, to say the least. The closest the west came from a Zero, or so it seems ? qualities and flaws included...
 

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