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The Curtiss Jenny was the first mass produced aircraft in American history and became one of the most popular planes of all times. The Jenny was never used in combat but by meeting the need for a reliable military trainer it was used to train 95% of all U.S. and Canadian pilots.
The Jenny was born when Glen Curtiss visited the Sopwith Company in England in 1913. The result was a tractor propeller driven aircraft. The Army ordered a small number of Jennies in 1915. Curtiss added strengthened wheels to the landing gear and created wings of unequal spans. Only the upper wing had ailerons. The JN-4 model also had the improved Curtiss OX-5, 90 hp engine. The most popular model JN-4D appeared in 1917. The entry of the U.S. into World War I led a great demand for the aircraft.
After the war, thousands of surplus Jennies were available and helped fuel the Barnstorming era of American aviation which introduced many people to the age of the airplane and made many stunt pilots famous.
General History of The Curtiss JN-4D at Chanute Field
The first aeroplane at Chanute Field landed on July 5, 1917. The Paxton Record reported that it passed over their town at 11:25 AM. It was estimated to be flying at a speed of 60 miles per hour at an altitude of 100 feet. The identity of the pilot was unknown. Many Jennies followed, but most arrived by rail in large crates. The airplanes were used to train pilots, mechanics, fuel specialists, photographers and many other technicians necessary to maintain an Air Force. The last of the Curtiss JN-4D aircraft were scrapped in 1921 in favor of more modern aircraft.
Timeline
1914 Glen Curtiss builds tractor type trainer
1915 First Jennies delivered to U.S. Army
1917 World War I First Jenny at Chanute Field
1918 End of World War I
1920’s Jennies used by Barnstormers
General Description
The Curtiss JN-4 was perhaps the most famous of all the American aircraft of the World War I era. The JN-4D was the most numerous version of the over 6,000 JN-4s built. Following the war, the plane became the workhorse of many "barnstormers" across the country.
The first "Jenny" arrived at Chanute Field in July 1917. The aircraft was used in flight training and aviation maintenance courses during World War I.
The Curtiss JN-4D on display is a replica built by museum volunteers, Tony Bilek, Dick Clark and Bob Helbling in 1995. It was built from scrap lumber, wire and canvas. The spoked wheels came from a motorcycle. Most Jennies that served at Chanute were painted olive drab, but the replica was painted Marine blue and yellow in the style of some training planes of the period. The intent of the replica was to depict the first planes at Chanute Field in 1917.
| Wingspan: | 43 ft. 7 in. | | Length: | 27 ft. 4 in. | | Height: | 9 ft. 10 in. | | Weight: | 1,430 lbs | | Engine: | one Curtiss OX-5 reciprocating; 90 HP | | Speed: | 75 MPH maximum | | Armament: | None | | Crew: | 2 (Instructor and student) |
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