| Model K | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Flying boat |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss |
| Primary user | Imperial Russian Navy |
| Number built | at least 51 |
| History | |
| First flight | January 1915 |
| Developed from | Curtiss Model F |
TheCurtiss Model K, also known as theModel 4, was anAmerican single-enginedflying boat ofWorld War I. It was an enlarged derivative of Curtiss'sModel F and about 50 were built for export to theImperial Russian Navy.
In 1914, theCurtiss Aeroplane Company developed its Model K, an enlarged development of its successful Model Fflying boat. It was a three-baybiplane powered by a 150 hp (112 kW) Curtiss V-X engine mounted in apusher configuration between the wings. Unlike the Model F, its wings werestaggered and slightly swept, while itsailerons were mounted on the upper wing instead of between the wings.[1][2]
The first flight of the Model K was delayed by problems with its engine until January 1915, with it being claimed that the aircraft was the largest single-engined flying boat in the world at the time.[2]
While the Model K did not attract orders from home,[3] attempts to export it were more successful, resulting in an order for at least 51 aircraft in both flying boat and landplane versions from theImperial Russian Navy in 1914.[4][N 1] The crated aircraft were shipped viaVancouver andVladivostok, resulting in serious delays in the aircraft being reassembled, such that many of them were unseaworthy due to their hulls having cracked.[3][5]
Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947[3]
General characteristics
Performance
