The Curtiss Model 41 Lark was a commercial

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company that was used by pioneering airmail, airline and bush pilots in the 1920s.

Development

The biplane was based on the

Curtiss Carrier Pigeon The Curtiss Carrier Pigeon was an American mail plane of the 1920s. A single-engined biplane designed and built to replace World War I surplus aircraft such as the DH-4, the Carrier Pigeon was one of the first aircraft designed specifically for ...

, a purpose-built aircraft for airmail operations. The Lark also had a longer-span lower wing, similar to the Carrier Pigeon. Some models were converted to floatplane configuration with a central mounted pontoon and wing-mounted floats. The biplane was made of welded tube with fabric covering. It was available with three engine choices, the

Curtiss C-6 The Curtiss C-6 is a six-cylinder, water-cooled, inline aircraft engine. Design and development The C-6 features an overhead cam and aluminum cylinder jackets. Further development as a V-12 engine was carried out resulting in the C-12 and CD-12 ...

, the Wright J-4 Whirlwind, and the Wright-Hisso E. All four wing panels were interchangeable, giving the aircraft its unusual longer lower wings. A 200 hp

Wright J-4 The Wright R-790 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical Corporation, with a total displacement of about and around . These engines were the earliest members of the Wright Whir ...

variant was tested for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. This installation proved superior in performance to the Curtiss engined model. This version eventually became the basis for the

Curtiss Fledgling The Curtiss Fledgling, known internally to Curtiss as the Model 48 and Model 51 was a trainer aircraft developed for the United States Navy in the late 1920s and known in that service as the N2C. Design and development The Fledgling was designe ...

series of aircraft.

Operational history

Curtiss Lark at 1925 National Air Races (side)

Patrica Airways operated a Lark for early bushplane operations. The aircraft flew with floats in warm weather, and skis in the winter. The aircraft was pressed into service as an early

hearse A hearse is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin at a funeral, wake, or memorial service. They range from deliberately a ...

once, with the cargo needing to be seated upside down in the open seat and secured with haywire.

Florida Airways Florida Airways was an American airline. Founded in part by Eddie Rickenbacker and based in the state of Florida, the airline served the southeastern United States during the mid-1920s. History Florida Airways was founded by Eddie Rickenb ...

operated a Curtiss Lark ''Miss Tallahassee'' on its CAM-10 U.S. airmail route between Miami and Atlanta. The aircraft was bought to take the place of two lost Stout 2-AT Pullman aircraft that could not operate out of the poorly prepared airstrips.

Colonial Air Transport Colonial Air Transport was an early airline that flew between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts. History It was established as Bee Line on 16 March 1923 and operated out Naugatuck, Connecticut; in 1926 was reorganised in New York City by J ...

owned a Curtiss Lark which was one of the first aircraft to be registered using the new

Underwriters Laboratories The UL enterprise is a global safety science company headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, composed of three organizations, UL Research Institutes, UL Standards & Engagement and UL Solutions. Established in 1894, the UL enterprise was founded as ...

all-letter system (1921 to 1923). This Lark, registered as ''N-AABC'', was used on the CAM-1 U.S. airmail route.

Specifications (Curtiss C-6 engine)

Notes

References

External links

Canadian Aviation and Science Museum photos of the Curtiss Lark {{Curtiss aircraft Curtiss aircraft, Lark Single-engined tractor aircraft 1920s United States mailplanes 1920s United States civil utility aircraft Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1925