Curtiss Wright X-300 VTOL Passenger Aircraft

[hesham]

Hi,

the Curtiss Wright X-300 was developed from X-200 as 40-passenger
vtol aircraft employing gimballed propellers and more powerful engines,
the X-300 differed from the X-200 in that the four engines were to be
mounted in two nacelles-two pulling and twp pushing,VTOL performasnce
was to be achieved by gimballing the rear pusher propellers downward
90-degrees as the forward propellers were rotated upward.

 

[robunos]

from 'the Curtiss X-Planes', schiffer,

cheers,
Robin.

 

[hesham]

Thank you Robunos,

and can I ask you,that I heard the Curtiss Wright X-500 was VZ-7,
is that right ?.

 

[robunos]

there is no information on the 'X-500'/VZ-7 in the above book, but the VZ-7 was designed by a different division, the santa barbara division,
to the X-300, which was designed by the propellor division.

for information on the VZ-7 go here:-

http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/curtiss_vz-7.php

and, of course, google is your friend.

cheers,
Robin.

 

[hesham]

Thank you dear Robunos,

and last question about this subject,are the Curtiss Wright X-325,X-410 and
X-425 relate to X-300 or not ?.


Thank you in advance

 

[robunos]

no information on X-325, but Model 300, 410, and 425 were all 4 engined tilt prop transports, of differing sizes and weights, as below,
all information from 'the curtiss x-planes'


model 300 length 73' 10" span 63' 6"* max. weight 54,500lbs

model 410 length 67' 11" span 65' 6"* max weight 56,700 lbs

model 425 length 68' 2" span 66'* max weight 62,400 lbs


* includes propellor disc.

cheers,
Robin.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

early concept for the X-100,and X-207,X-100 development and X-205.


http://prototypes.free.fr/curtiss/x100-1.htm
http://prototypes.free.fr/curtiss/x100-4.htm

 

[robunos]

the model 207 was a utility transport design using the wings, tails, engines, and transmission from the model 90, curtiss' submission to the AAFSS requirement, mated to a new fuselage.
design gross weight was 24,400 lbs, max true airspeed was 375 knots at approximately 10,000 ft. hover cieling at design gross weight was 12,000 ft, or 8,000 ft in hot conditions.
range was 380 miles at design gross weight with a 3000 lb payload.
source as before, 'the curtiss x-planes' .

cheers,
Robin.

 

[hesham]

Hi,


here is a drawing from DTIC,looks like Curtiss-Wright X-300 design,
but it has one folding tilt-rotor.

 

[Stargazer]

here is a drawing from DTIC,looks like Curtiss-Wright X-300 design,
but it has one folding tilt-rotor.

You're missing the BIG difference here... this one's got tail-mounted jet units!!

 

[hesham]

From Ailes 2/2/1962,

the Curtiss X-300.

 

[Grey Havoc]

It's interesting that the engines were initially intended to be of the Wankel type (more than likely planned to be built under licence by Wright Aeronautical, which was a division of Curtiss-Wright).

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane 1961,

the Curtiss-Wright LT-1.

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane 1960,

the X-300.

 

[yasotay]

I have to wonder if the stability issues that precluded the Curtiss-Wright tilt-prop from succeeding due to inadequate technology could be overcome today. I ponder this when there are technologies like Karem blade control that could have reduced the instability. Given the potential for ~100 knot increase in cruise speed over tilt rotor without folding and such, it might have some utility.

 

[hesham]

From my dear Scott,

Curtis-Wright Model 300 VTOL Local Service Transport part 1 – Aerospace Projects Review Blog

 

[Scott Kenny]

I have to wonder if the stability issues that precluded the Curtiss-Wright tilt-prop from succeeding due to inadequate technology could be overcome today. I ponder this when there are technologies like Karem blade control that could have reduced the instability. Given the potential for ~100 knot increase in cruise speed over tilt rotor without folding and such, it might have some utility.

Still a high disc loading, so really high speed air stream below it.

 

[hesham]

As in my files,the Curtiss X series is,

X-100,X-110,X-200,X-205,X-207,X-225,X-260,X-300,X-325,X-400,X-410,
X-425 & X-500.

 

[Stargazer]

As in my files,the Curtiss X series is, X-100,X-110,X-200,X-205,X-207,X-225,X-260,X-300,X-325,X-400,X-410, X-425 & X-500.

There was no "X-" series as such. There was a model number series, and the X- prefix was sometimes added, sometimes not.
Where did you find the X-110, X-225 and X-400 designations? Here's what I have:

• 90: submission to the AAFSS requirement
• X-100 Hummingbird: experimental VTOL using wing-tip tilt-propellers
• X-200T Tandem: acquired by USAF as the X-19A
• 200: planned commercial version
• 201: no data (see below)
• 203: Light Utility Transport project
• 205: USAF transport and rescue VTOL, an enlarged Model X-200
• 207-8: Multi-Mission Support Transport; much enlarged derivative of Model X-200 for Army
• 260-7: Multi-Mission (RVX) Aircraft Design (also found "M-260 Recovery Vehicle")
• X-300: Local Service VTOL Transport — a proposed radial lift transport with two push-pull propellers on each side
• X-325: no data (see below)
• X-410: huge tilt-rotor VTOL transport with 12,740-15,000 lb. payload, four engines and 23' props
• X-425 Light Transport (LT-1): light military VTOL Logistic Transport project, basically an enlarged version of the Model 200; 32 passengers, 3600 kg of freight, rear loading ramp; four 2200 to 3000 hp turbines
• 500: no data (see below)

Mention of Models 201, 325 and 500:

Between 1957 and 1965 Curtiss Wright VTOL Systems Division was established to develop a series of VTOL projects, most of them never built. The facility was located adjacent to Caldwell Wright Airport. The first was the X100 which flew for the first time (free hover) on 13 September 1959. This was followed by the 200 which flew for the first time, as the USAF's X-19, on 20 November 1963. By now Curtiss had projected a whole range of this type of aircraft with known type designations 201, 203, 205, 207, 300, 325, 410, 425 and 500, but with probably a lot more designs. The development fell apart when the X-19 crashed on 25 August 1965 and Curtiss Wright went out of the aircraft designing and building business forever.

Source: Francis H. Dean, The Curtiss X Planes

 

[Stargazer]

[off-topic]
As for the in-between missing numbers, I suspect Curtiss-Wright used them for all sorts of projects, not necessarily aircraft-related. For instance:

A company better known for its aircraft such as the legendary Kittyhawk, Tomahawk and Helldiver, plus aircraft engines, Curtiss-Wright briefly had an earthmoving division. C-W entered the earthmoving business through the acquisition of the Wooldridge Corporation, of Sunnyvale, California. The deal was sealed in June 1958 for approx. US$5m and Curtiss-Wright became an instant member of the earthmoving industry.

Source: https://nz.pinterest.com/contractormag/the-scrapers-of-curtiss-wright/

The first four model numbers here duplicate the original CW- series, but if you look at the rest of the list, you'll find that they seem to fit in nicely with our VTOL model numbers:

• CWT-8: scraper with 8 cubic yard capacity
• CW-27: scraper with 15 cubic yard capacity
• CW-28: same as CW-27 with but added sideboarding to the scrapers bowl
• CWT-30: scraper with 30 cubic yard capacity
• CWD-214: scraper with 25-ton capacity
• CW-215: scraper with 15 cubic yard capacity
• CW-220: scraper with 20 cubic yard capacity
• CWD-221: scraper with 35-ton capacity
• CW-226: scraper with 26 cubic yard capacity and 360 hp engine
• CW-320: scraper with 20 cubic yard capacity
• CWD-321: scraper with 35-ton capacity

But then again, I may be wrong!

 

[hesham]

Where did you find the X-110, X-225 and X-400 designations?

That's from in my files,from unknown source,

- 80 was a high-speed tilt-rotor VTOL project,maybe led to develop X-200
- 110 was a small project version of Model-200,as a light transport VTOL
- 225 was a version of X-200,with a wider fuselage,as VTOL transport project
- 325 was a version of X-300,with a wider fuselage,also as a VTOL transport
project
- 400 was unknown ?,but may it was a small version preceded X-410,project
- 500 was large VTOL military transport project version,with a wider fuselage
and rear door,with gross weight 78.500 lb and up to 94000 lb