Curtiss-Wright CW-19

CR-2, CW-19, and CW-23
Curtiss-Wright CW-19 Coupe
Role	Civil utility aircraft
Manufacturer	Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Company, Curtiss-Wright
Designer	Don Berlin, Carl Scott, George Page
First flight	1935
Primary users	Chinese Air Force Cuban Air Force
Number built	Approximately 30

The Curtiss-Wright CW-19 was a civil utility aircraft designed in the United States in the mid-1930s and built in small quantities in a number of variants including the CW-23 military trainer prototype.

Originally conceived as the Curtiss-Robertson CR-2 Coupe shortly before the Curtiss-Wright merger and the dropping of the Curtiss-Robertson brand, it was an all-metal, low-wing cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration with fixed tailwheel undercarriage and side-by-side seating for two. A prominent feature on all versions other than the original CR-2 prototypes was the large "trouser"-style wheel spats. While the design was never perfected for the civil market it was originally intended for, a militarized version was soon developed that replaced the side-by-side cabin with tandem seating and added provision for guns and bombs.

Curtiss-Wright hoped that in this form it could be sold on the export market as a ground-attack machine. But orders were disappointing, with only 20 purchased by the Chinese Air Force and three by the Cuban Air Force. An unarmed trainer version was also developed and offered to the USAAC but no orders were placed.

In a final attempt to find a market for the design, engine power was increased from 450 hp (340 kW) to 600 hp (450 kW), and a retractable undercarriage was fitted. In this form, designated CW-23, the aircraft was offered once again to the USAAC, this time as an advanced trainer, but once again the service was not interested. The CW-19 did, however, form the basis of the far more successful CW-21 and CW-22 designs.

Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947

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