__NOTOC__ The Curtiss Model 55 Kingbird was an airliner built in small numbers in the United States in the early 1930s. It was a twin-engine aircraft with a fuselage derived from the single-engine Curtiss Thrush. The Kingbird had two engine nacelles mounted on the struts on either side of the fuselage that braced the wing and the outrigger undercarriage. A distinctive design feature was the aircraft's blunt nose, located behind the propeller arcs. This allowed the engines to be mounted closer to each other and to the aircraft's centerline, therefore minimising asymmetrical thrust in case of an engine failure. For the same reason, the Thrush's single tailfin was replaced by twin tails on the Kingbird, and the main production model, the D-2 fitted a second horizontal stabilizer and elevator between these fins.

Eastern Air Transport Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

was to be the Kingbird's main operator, flying 14 of them for a few years. The United States Marine Corps also purchased an example, first designating it JC-1, then RC-1 and using it as an air ambulance.

Variants

; Kingbird C: Prototype powered by 185 hp (138 kW) six-cylinder Curtiss R-600 Challenger engines. One built, but found to be underpowered. Later converted to Kingbird J-1.Bowers 1979, p. 387. ; Kingbird D-1: Second and third prototypes (previously Kingbird J-3 and J-2) powered by 225 hp nine-cylinder

Wright Whirlwind The Wright Whirlwind was a family of air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical (originally an independent company, later a division of Curtiss-Wright). The family began with nine-cylinder engines, and later expanded to incl ...

J-6-7

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...

s. Later converted to D-2 standard.Bowers 1979, pp. 387–388. ; Kingbird D-2: Production aircraft with two 300 hp (224 kW) Whirlwind J-6-9 engines. 14 built plus two converted from D-1s. ; Kingbird D-3: One-off Curtiss executive transport. Two 330 hp (246 kW) Whirlwind J-6-9 engines. Seats for five passengers.Bowers 1979, p. 388. ; Kingbird J-1: First prototype after re-engining with Whirlwind engines. ; Kingbird J-2: Third prototype, J-6-7 engines. ; Kingbird J-3: Second prototype, J-6-9 engines. ; RC-1: Single Kingbird D-2 for US Navy, originally ordered as JC-1 (J for utility), but delivered as RC-1 (R for transport).

Operators

; *

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

; *

Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines ( Turkish: ''Türk Hava Yolları'') is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey. , it operates scheduled services to 340 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the largest mainline carrier in the ...

(under former official name: State Airlines Administration)

Specifications (D-2)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* *

External links

* A contemporary technical article on the Kingbird, with details of the version with 225 hp Whirlwind J-6-7 engines.
aerofiles.com

generalaviationnews.com
{{Curtiss aircraft

Kingbird ''Tyrannus'' is a genus of small passerine birds of the tyrant flycatcher family native to the Americas. The majority are named as kingbirds. Description They prefer semi-open or open areas. These birds wait on an exposed perch and then catch i ...

1920s United States airliners High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1929 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft