I noted another thread on Curtiss YP-37 (and XP-37) disposition elsewhere which included discussion of the type in general. Having looked at these 14 aircraft I felt it appropriate to correct a great deal of incorrect information that's been published on this admittedly obscure aircraft. First of all the first prototype XP-37, a single example of which was built and powered by an Allison V-1710-7 engine. It looked like this, painted in overall silver dope and contrasting with the natural metal finish of the later YP-37s: also of note is the forward-mounted side intake and single, wide vent slot aft of the engine at this point. Note that the full-length exhaust header cowling has been removed in this photo, dated 2 March 1939 and shortly after the aircraft had been delivered back to Wright AAF after an earlier landing gear collapse and a second similar incident whilst at Curtiss for repair (!):
And this is its complete set of assignments, derived from its individual aircraft record card:
Curtiss XP-37
One aircraft, Contract W535 AC-9555; ordered 27Jan37, revised 16Feb37.
s/n - c/n - movements:
37-375 - unk - first flight given as April 1937 (and reportedly registered [N]X17Y but this is in error - see NOTE below); accepted at Wright AAF 23Jul37 with 8 hrs flight time; accident Wright AAF 10Mar38 – landing gear strut folded up while taxiing (Capt Samuel B Harris); returned to Curtiss 31Mar38 (presumably for repair) with 30 hrs; accident with Curtiss at Buffalo NY 17Sep38 – landing gear collapsed on landing; repaired and back to Wright AAF 20Jan39 with 44 hrs; to Chanute Field 13Nov41 with 162 hrs; dropped to Class 26 and presumed eventually scrapped.
NOTE: application was made by the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Co, Inc of Buffalo NY on 26Apr35 for civil registration X17Y to be applied to Curtiss Design 75 with c/n 11923 powered by a 750 hp Wright GR-1510. The registration was approved 20May35. A January 1936 renewal of the registration states the engine to be a 750 hp Twin Wasp Junior. On 15Apr36 Curtiss applied for a revised registration, the aircraft now fitted with an 850 hp Wright SGR-1820-G5 and annotated "retracted tail wheel and installed new engine" the same month. The registration certificate, issued on 13May36 included engine type as either Cyclone 850 hp or Cyclone 865 hp. On 17Nov36 Curtiss advised that the aircraft had been sold to the Curtiss-Wright Corporation (also of Buffalo NY) and the transfer of title dated 19Nov36 stated the engine type to be "Cyclone SGR1820G-5 850 hp or SR1820G-5 865 hp".
Finally, on 13Apr37, Lloyd Child at the Curtiss-Wright Sales Department sent a letter to the Bureau of Air Commerce in Washington, DC stating that, "This is to advise that the subject airplane no longer is in existence. Therefore, its licence should be cancelled.
"The reason why this cancellation is in order is that the Design 75 airplane was disassembled, so that its wings and tail could be used on one experimental project and its fuselage on another. These parts were changed and rebuilt to suit their new projects.
"The two airplanes upon which the Design 75 parts will be used, will have new serial numbers and will be identified as entirely different airplanes."
The registration (N)X17Y was cancelled on 26Apr37 and not reallocated until made available in 1952 for application to a Howard aircraft design previously registered as N14888. Therefore, any reference to the XP-37 being given this registration is incorrect.
It does appear however that parts of the Model 75 were used in the XP-37 (the latter supposedly given Curtiss Model Number 75I). Constructor's number of the XP-37 is not known, but as stated by Lloyd Child above, "…will have new serial numbers and will be identified as entirely different airplanes". It is assumed that the c/n was in the 119xx or 12xxx range.
For completeness, this is the Curtiss Model 75 with c/n 11923 (c/r [N]X17Y), which has been erroneously described as the test configuration of the XP-37; instead it was broken up and contributed parts to the XP-37:
I'll cover movements for the thirteen YP-37s in a separate post.
And this is its complete set of assignments, derived from its individual aircraft record card:
Curtiss XP-37
One aircraft, Contract W535 AC-9555; ordered 27Jan37, revised 16Feb37.
s/n - c/n - movements:
37-375 - unk - first flight given as April 1937 (and reportedly registered [N]X17Y but this is in error - see NOTE below); accepted at Wright AAF 23Jul37 with 8 hrs flight time; accident Wright AAF 10Mar38 – landing gear strut folded up while taxiing (Capt Samuel B Harris); returned to Curtiss 31Mar38 (presumably for repair) with 30 hrs; accident with Curtiss at Buffalo NY 17Sep38 – landing gear collapsed on landing; repaired and back to Wright AAF 20Jan39 with 44 hrs; to Chanute Field 13Nov41 with 162 hrs; dropped to Class 26 and presumed eventually scrapped.
NOTE: application was made by the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Co, Inc of Buffalo NY on 26Apr35 for civil registration X17Y to be applied to Curtiss Design 75 with c/n 11923 powered by a 750 hp Wright GR-1510. The registration was approved 20May35. A January 1936 renewal of the registration states the engine to be a 750 hp Twin Wasp Junior. On 15Apr36 Curtiss applied for a revised registration, the aircraft now fitted with an 850 hp Wright SGR-1820-G5 and annotated "retracted tail wheel and installed new engine" the same month. The registration certificate, issued on 13May36 included engine type as either Cyclone 850 hp or Cyclone 865 hp. On 17Nov36 Curtiss advised that the aircraft had been sold to the Curtiss-Wright Corporation (also of Buffalo NY) and the transfer of title dated 19Nov36 stated the engine type to be "Cyclone SGR1820G-5 850 hp or SR1820G-5 865 hp".
Finally, on 13Apr37, Lloyd Child at the Curtiss-Wright Sales Department sent a letter to the Bureau of Air Commerce in Washington, DC stating that, "This is to advise that the subject airplane no longer is in existence. Therefore, its licence should be cancelled.
"The reason why this cancellation is in order is that the Design 75 airplane was disassembled, so that its wings and tail could be used on one experimental project and its fuselage on another. These parts were changed and rebuilt to suit their new projects.
"The two airplanes upon which the Design 75 parts will be used, will have new serial numbers and will be identified as entirely different airplanes."
The registration (N)X17Y was cancelled on 26Apr37 and not reallocated until made available in 1952 for application to a Howard aircraft design previously registered as N14888. Therefore, any reference to the XP-37 being given this registration is incorrect.
It does appear however that parts of the Model 75 were used in the XP-37 (the latter supposedly given Curtiss Model Number 75I). Constructor's number of the XP-37 is not known, but as stated by Lloyd Child above, "…will have new serial numbers and will be identified as entirely different airplanes". It is assumed that the c/n was in the 119xx or 12xxx range.
For completeness, this is the Curtiss Model 75 with c/n 11923 (c/r [N]X17Y), which has been erroneously described as the test configuration of the XP-37; instead it was broken up and contributed parts to the XP-37:
I'll cover movements for the thirteen YP-37s in a separate post.
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