View source for Curtiss Model R

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{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin
 |name=Model R
 |image=Curtiss R-4L 1918.jpeg
 |caption=Curtiss R-4L
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
 |type=Military utility aircraft
 |manufacturer=
 |designer=[[Curtiss Aeroplane Company|Curtiss]]
 |first flight=[[1915 in aviation|1915]]
 |introduced=
 |retired=
 |status=
 |primary user=[[United States Army]], [[United States Navy]]
 |more users=
 |produced=
 |number built=ca. 290
 |variants with their own articles=
}}
|}

The '''Curtiss Model R''' was a utility aircraft produced for the United States Army and Navy during [[World War I]]. It was a conventional, two-bay biplane with slightly staggered wings of unequal span. The aircraft was provided with two open cockpits in tandem and fixed tailskid undercarriage, but many were built for the Navy with twin floats replacing the wheels. During the course of the war, Model Rs were used for general liaison and communication duties, as well for observation, training, and as air ambulances. In practice, the Curtiss powerplants supplied with these aircraft proved insufficient and were mostly replaced with [[Liberty engine]]s. The Navy's '''Model R-3''' floatplane had extended-span, three-bay wings, and was intended for use as a torpedo bomber. Some of these were later fitted with wheeled undercarriage and transferred to the Army as bombers under the designation '''Model R-9'''.

==Operators==
;{{UK}}
*[[Royal Navy Air Service]]
;{{USA}}
*[[United States Army]]
*[[United States Navy]]

==Variants==
[[File:Curtiss R-6L dropping torpedo.jpg|thumb|A U.S. Navy R-6L dropping a torpedo.]]
[[File:Curtiss R-9L on hoist of seplane tender c1920.jpeg|thumb|A U.S. Navy R-9.]]
;Model R
:Prototype with highly-staggered, equal-span wings and with single long cockpit for pilot and observer. Powered by 160&nbsp;hp (119&nbsp;kW) [[Curtiss V-X]] engine.<ref name="Bowers p120-1">Bowers 1979, pp. 120–121.</ref>
;Model R-2
:Initial production version, fitted with uneven-span staggered wings and individual, widely-separated cockpits for pilot and observer. 12 built for US Army and 100 for [[Royal Navy Air Service]].<ref name="Bowers p122">Bowers 1979, p. 122.</ref><ref name="Thet navy p384">Thetford 1978, p. 384.</ref>
;Model R-2A
:One-off version, with equal-span wings, which broke the American altitude record of 8,105 ft (2740 m) in August 1915. One built.<ref name="Bowers p122"/>
;Model R-3
:Floatplane version for the US Navy, with increased wingspan (57&nbsp;ft 1&nbsp;in) wings.  Two built.<ref name="Bowers p123-4">Bowers 1979, pp. 123–124.</ref>
;Model R-4
:Improved version of R-2 for US Army, powered by 200&nbsp;hp (149&nbsp;kW) [[Curtiss V-2-3]] engine. At least 55 built.<ref name="Bowers p124">Bowers 1979, p. 124.</ref> 
;Model R-4L
:Model R-4s refitted with [[Liberty L-12]]. Several converted plus 12 new build aircraft.<ref name="Bowers p124"/>
;Model R-4LM
:Conversion of R-4L into [[mailplane]] for US Army, with front cockpit converted to mail compartment with capacity for 400&nbsp;lb (181&nbsp;kg) of mail.<ref name="Bowers p125-6">Bowers 1979, pp. 125–126.</ref> 
;Model R-6:
: Two-seat floatplane with long-span wings of R-3 but powered with Curtiss V-2-3 engine.  76 delivered to US Navy plus some floatplanes and landplanes for US Army. Used for torpedo-bomber trials post war.<ref name="Bowers p126">Bowers 1979, p. 126.</ref>
;Model R-6L
:Model R-6 with 360&nbsp;hp (269&nbsp;kW) Liberty L-12 engine.<ref name="Bowers p128">Bowers 1979, p. 128.</ref> 40 converted from R-6 plus 122 built new.<ref name="aerofiles">[http://www.aerofiles.com/_curtx.html "Curtiss L-Z"]. ''Aerofiles'', Retrieved 26 May 2011.</ref>
;Model R-7
:Long range landplane built for ''[[The New York Times]]'' for an attempted to fly non-stop from Chicago to New York in 1916. It failed to complete the flight but still set an American distance record of 452 miles (727 km). Fitted with long-span wings as R-3 and R-6 and powered by Curtiss V-2-3 engine. One built.<ref name="Bowers p128-9">Bowers 1979, pp. 128–129.</ref>
;Model R-9
:Two-seat bomber version for the US Navy, similar to R-6, but with crew positions reversed so pilot sat in front cockpit and observer in rear.  112 built for the US Navy, ten of which transferred to US Army.<ref name="Bowers p129">Bowers 1979, p. 129.</ref>
;Pusher R
:1916 pusher version, based on wings of R, with new fuselage nacelle accommodating two crew. One built.<ref name="Bowers p130">Bowers 1979, p. 130".</ref>
;Twin R
:One-off experimental twin-engined conversion of R-2.<ref name="Bowers p130"/>

==Specifications (R-2)==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947<ref name=Bowers>{{cite book |last1=Bowers |first1=Peter M. |title=Curtiss aircraft, 1907-1947 |date=1979 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=0370100298 |pages=120–130}}</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1
|capacity=1 pax
|length ft=24
|length in=4.375
|length note=
|upper span ft=45
|upper span in=11.5
|upper span note=
|lower span ft=38
|lower span in=5.875
|lower span note=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqft=504.88
|wing area note=
|swept area sqft=<!-- swing-wings -->
|swept area note=
|volume ft3=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|volume note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=RAF 6<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=1822
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=3092
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|lift lb=<!-- lighter-than-air -->
|lift note=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Curtiss V-X]]<ref name="Angle">{{cite book |last1=Angle |first1=Glenn D. |title=Airplane Engine Encyclopedia |url=https://archive.org/details/airplaneenginee00anglgoog |date=1921|publisher=THE OTTERBEIN PRESS|location=Dayton, Ohio}}</ref>
|eng1 type=V-8 water-cooled piston engine
|eng1 hp=160

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=86
|max speed note=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|range miles=
|range note=
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=6 hours 42 minutes
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|4000|ft}} in 10 minutes
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|more performance=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
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|related=<!-- related developments -->
*[[Naval Aircraft Factory PT]]
|similar aircraft=<!-- similar or comparable aircraft -->

|sequence=<!-- designation sequence, if appropriate -->

|lists=<!-- related lists -->

|see also=<!-- other relevant information -->
}}

==References==
{{commons category|Curtiss Model R}}
{{reflist}}
* {{cite book|last=Bowers|first=Peter M.|title=Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947|year=1979|publisher=Putnam|location=London|isbn=0-370-10029-8|author-link=Peter M. Bowers}}
* {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages=285 }}
*{{cite book|last=Thetford|first=Owen|title=British Naval Aircraft since 1912|year=1978|publisher=Putnam|location=London|isbn=0-370-30021-1|edition=4th}}
* [http://www.aerofiles.com/_curtx.html aerofiles.com]

{{Curtiss aircraft}}

[[Category:1910s United States military utility aircraft]]
[[Category:Curtiss aircraft|Model R]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915]]