CURTISS CW-22/SNC-1 FALCON

The Curtiss-Wright CW-22 (another designation: SNC-1 Falcon) was an American training and reconnaissance aircraft in the low wing configuration, with a classic landing gear - retractable in flight from the Second World War. The flight of the prototype took place in 1940, and the machine entered the line in 1942. About 440 machines of this type were built in the course of serial production. In the SNC-1 version, the drive was provided by a single 420 HP Wright R-975-28 Whirlwind engine. The length of the aircraft was 8.23 meters with a wingspan of 10.67 meters. The maximum speed did not exceed 320 km / h, and the range was about 1250 kilometers. The Curtiss-Wright CW-22 was developed based on two other planes from the aviation manufacturer: the CW-19 and - especially - the CW-21. Compared to the latter, which was a hunting machine, the CW-22 had a less powerful engine, had slightly different dimensions and did not have on-board armament (in the SNC-1 version). The structure of the aircraft was also entirely made of metal. In the course of production, three main development versions were created: SNC-1 (training-reconnaissance version, unarmed, dedicated to the US Navy), CW-22 (versions with on-board weapons intended for the Dutch aviation stationed in today's Indonesia) and CW-22B (also the version armed goods exported to e.g. the Netherlands or Turkey). The Dutch CW-22 took a very limited part in the battles against Japanese aggression in 1941-1942.