Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Catalog Data

Manufacturer:
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company  Search this
Materials:
Aluminum, Steel, Stainless Steel, Magnesium
Dimensions:
3-D (Longest Part): 22.9 × 7.6 × 1.6cm (9 × 3 × 5/8 in.)
3-D (Smallest Part): 2.5 × 2.5 × 1.6cm (1 × 1 × 5/8 in.)
Type:
PROPULSION-Reciprocating & Rotary
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Date:
July 7, 1930
Physical Description:
Miscellaneous hardware removed from engine during restoration.
Summary:
The Conqueror developed from a history of Curtiss engines beginning in the early twentieth century. It was the last of Curtiss liquid cooled engines. The U.S. Navy purchased this engine in 1930 and installed it in the Curtiss XF6C-6 Hawk, a biplane converted to a monoplane racer. On September 1, 1930, U.S. Marine Corps pilot Capt. Arthur H. Page Jr., flew the aircraft in the Thompson Trophy Air Race in Chicago. While leading the field, the aircraft lost power, and Page died during the resulting forced landing.
To determine what happened, the Navy's Aeronautical Engine Laboratory disassembled and inspected the engine. They determined that the magneto drive shaft bushing and housing failed, which most likely retarded the magneto timing enough to cause a loss of power and engine failure. While historians have speculated that Page was overcome by fumes and crashed, the official Navy report indicated otherwise.
Credit Line:
Transferred from the U.S. Navy
Inventory Number:
A19710913003
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9b65c0fe3-bbc2-4ef1-965d-a41b0b566e23
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19710913003