History - Model Airways CURTISS JN-4D JENNY Instruction Manual

Jenny
The biplane was introduced in 1916 and manufactured by
the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation in Hammondsport,
Jenny
New York. The name was coined from the JN series. Not
a combat aircraft in World War I, but it became an important
trainer for pilots of the United States Air Service. The aircraft
became more famous after the war, being used as a barnstormer
and mail carrier. More than 6000 aircraft were built. The most
produced and most popular model was the JN-4D. More than
3000 were built. Some 1200 were produced in Canada and known
as Canuck JN-4CAN. About 1000 aircraft, mostly JN-4D's, were
built by other US firms such as Springfield Aircraft Corporation,
St. Louis Aircraft Corporation, and Liberty Iron Works.
Jenny
The has a wingspan of 43 feet 7 inches and weighs 1430
pounds. She flies at a speed of 75 mph, has an endurance of 2.5
hours, climbs to 2000 feet in ten minutes, and the service ceiling
is 11,000 feet. The aircraft is manned by a crew of two and is
powered by a Curtiss OX-5 in-line V8, water-cooled engine.
Thousands of these 90 HP engines, first manufactured in 1910,
Jenny
were used in the and other aircraft.
Besides the JN-4D model, there were other minor variations in
the models JN-1, 2, 3, 4, and models JN-4A, 4B, 4C, JN-4D2, and
JN-6H. Some had engines mounted with no engine-prop down
thrust, some had wings with less stagger (10" to 12" as opposed
to 16" on JN-4D). Other variations included a different stabilizer
shape, more dihedral in the wings (up to 4 degrees), and a longer
lower wing length. All in all, however, all models looked pretty
much the same.
The prototype JN-4D had ailerons on both wings, but the pro-
duction models eliminated the lower wing ailerons. Earlier

HISTORY

Ken Hyde's restored Jenny at the Maryland Museum
2
aircraft used a wheel for controlling the rudder, but the D model
Jenny's
used sticks. Quite a few
flying today. Restored aircraft can be found in museums around
the country, including the Smithsonian Institution's Garber
Preservation Facility) in Suitland, Maryland outside Washington,
DC; College Park Aviation Museum in College Park, Maryland;
Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York; and the History
and Traditions Museum at Lackland Air Force Base in San
Antonio, Texas, to name a few.
Jenny
To see a in action, an outstanding video is
a Jenny
. This is a 1989 film by the EAA (Experimental Aircraft
Association) Aviation Foundation's Paul Harvey Audio-Video
Center, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It has a good history and vintage
Jenny
footage of the as a military trainer and a barnstormer.
The video highlights Ken Hyde's restoration of a
scenes of its initial flights. The video has some wonderful color
photography of several restored
These scenes are from a 1989 reunion of these historic aircraft
held in Oshkosh. Lots of different color schemes and markings.
Jenny
Several photos of a restored by Ken Hyde are shown
throughout these instructions. Refer to the credits below for
more information about Ken Hyde himself.
For more flight scenes and close-ups, look for the 1975 movie of
The Great Waldo Pepper
with Robert Redford. There is also an
outstanding video available entitled
To The Air, Volume III
. This video has early film shots of pilots
Jenny's
training in . The film was shot at various locations,
including Minneola Field, NY, and Kelly Field in Texas. The
video was copyrighted in 1993 by Aerofilm.
have been restored and are still
It's Gotta Be
Jenny
with
Jenny
's close up and in flight.
World War I: America Takes