Curtiss NC-4

Rocketeer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:16 pm **Posts:** 195

One of the great American accomplishments following the First World War involved crossing the Atlantic Ocean by aeroplane.

Thinking about the Curtiss NC-4, where and how was this aircraft stored for several decades before the National Museum of Naval Aviation could house it? Photos of the aircraft outdoors on the Washington National Mall grounds (dated 1969 for the 50th Anniversary of the transatlantic flight) have appeared online.

Any photos or further trivia regarding the Curtiss NC's is welcome!

Marauderman26 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:05 am **Posts:** 167

Rocketeer wrote:

One of the great American accomplishments following the First World War involved crossing the Atlantic Ocean by aeroplane.

Thinking about the Curtiss NC-4, where and how was this aircraft stored for several decades before the National Museum of Naval Aviation could house it? Photos of the aircraft outdoors on the Washington National Mall grounds (dated 1969 for the 50th Anniversary of the transatlantic flight) have appeared online.

Any photos or further trivia regarding the Curtiss NC's is welcome!

Rocketeer,
Here you go: http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/a ... 9270032000

Marauderman26

APG85 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:48 am

One of my favorite planes! The NC-4 was a monster. I've always been fascinated by the early transatlantic flyers and their planes. For a very good read on the various transatlantic flyers, their backgrounds and planes, I suggest Atlantic Fever by Joe Jackson.

The NC-4 is beautifully preserved at the National Naval Aviation Museum. I've taken many pictures of it over the years.

http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attr ... ?item=nc-4

Here's a link to some picture's I took last year (posted on this website):

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=53097

JOMiller · **Joined:** Mon May 30, 2011 8:27 am **Posts:** 321

I believe one of the untold stories of "Nancy 4" is that there were no plans of it available
when NNAM staff took on the challenge. Once the Phase I building was complete enough,
the huge collection of parts and pieces was brought inside and the puzzle reassembly began.
Those guys had to figure out from scratch where everything went. They did a pretty fine job!

Owen

k5083 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:18 am

One of the nicest things about these record-setting or first-setting planes surviving is that they often seem to be the only preserved examples of the types, or even the whole categories, of planes from which they were derived. If not for the NC-4 we wouldn't get to look at a large 1920s flying boat like this. Similarly the World Cruisers are about the only preserved naval torpedo bombers from that period, most if not all surviving Vickers Vimys and Fokker Trimotors were involved in some distinguished exploit, etc. Many types have gone completely extinct because they didn't happen to be used to set a record or cross something first, and nobody thought of the ordinary planes as worth preserving.

August

APG85 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2015 10:43 am

k5083 wrote:

One of the nicest things about these record-setting or first-setting planes surviving is that they often seem to be the only preserved examples of the types, or even the whole categories, of planes from which they were derived. If not for the NC-4 we wouldn't get to look at a large 1920s flying boat like this. Similarly the World Cruisers are about the only preserved naval torpedo bombers from that period, most if not all surviving Vickers Vimys and Fokker Trimotors were involved in some distinguished exploit, etc. Many types have gone completely extinct because they didn't happen to be used to set a record or cross something first, and nobody thought of the ordinary planes as worth preserving.

August

I absolutely agree. So few Fokker Trimotors exist (a beautiful design). It's a shame the Bellanca Columbia didn't survive (burned in a hangar fire) or Richard Byrd's Fokker America (ditched off the coast of France) or many other great planes. Davis and Wooster's Keystone Pathfinder American Legion was rebuilt after their fatal crash but was later burned as scrap after it had served out it's usefulness. There are no examples left of the Pathfinders that I am aware of...

old iron · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2015 2:27 pm

Quote:

I believe one of the untold stories of "Nancy 4" is that there were no plans of it available
when NNAM staff took on the challenge.

I believe the restoration was done by NASM staff.

APG85 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2015 2:34 pm

It was fully re-assembled at least once on the National Mall in the late 60's for temporary display as seen in the photo link in the second post. Eventually, it was disassembled and and permanently loaned to Pensacola for display. It must have been an arduous task to build it up, mount those massive Liberty engines and propellers, etc. It would be interesting to see pictures of the process...

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

Quote:

The NC-4 was put on public display in Central Park in New York City and in several other locations, including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The hull of the NC-4 was exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution in 1920 and it was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1927. The remaining components were retained in Navy storage until they were obtained by the Smithsonian in 1961. The Smithsonian decided to fully restore the NC-4 for the 50th anniversary of the first transatlantic crossing. With the assistance of three Navy technicians, the restoration of the NC-4 was completed and the aircraft was displayed on the national Mall for the 50th anniversary celebration on May 8, 1969. After the brief exhibition, the NC-4 was disassembled and placed in storage until it was loaned to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, in 1974.

Found it here:
http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/a ... 9270032000

APG85 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 02, 2015 3:05 pm

Another picture of it on the National Mall in the 60's. It seems Paul Garber is responsible for saving it...

http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today ... 03/?no-ist

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

My intel tells me one of the relatives of the pilot (LT Elmer F. Stone, USCG) quietly works or worked a well known museum. There may have been an attempt to reach out to this person but I do not think it was successful. The hope was to preserve or at least request copies of the historical artifacts of then LT Stone. There are some artifacts out there but they are few and far between. LT Stone had alot to do with the design of the steam catapult. LCDR Stone later set world speed records for an amphib (JF-2 Duck).

Ye old NC-4:
http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stor ... or-no-1/2/

Also....last year I came across some old footage of the NC-4 taxing on the water in Lisbon or France.

Left Seat · **Joined:** Thu Feb 13, 2014 5:44 pm **Posts:** 151

APG85 wrote:

Another picture of it on the National Mall in the 60's. It seems Paul Garber is responsible for saving it...
http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today ... 903?no-ist

I remember seeing it there.

It shocked me that they would leave an old antique wood and fabric plane outside in the drizzle.

APG85 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 07, 2015 6:30 pm

A couple of pictures from the NC-4 display at the Naval Air Museum:

JOMiller · **Joined:** Mon May 30, 2011 8:27 am **Posts:** 321

old iron wrote:

Quote:

I believe one of the untold stories of "Nancy 4" is that there were no plans of it available
when NNAM staff took on the challenge.

I believe the restoration was done by NASM staff.

Don't believe I used the term "restoration". I believe I said "reassembly"
Lotta, lotta difference..........

Owen

APG85 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:03 pm

Well, somebody restored it. It's obviously in pristine condition...

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