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Curtiss H-16 flying boat

The Curtiss H-16 flying boat, equipped with twin Liberty engines of 360 horsepower each, had been developed during 1915 and 1916 by the Curtiss Co. and the British Admiralty.

The original model had been the Curtiss America of 1914 which was built just prior to the beginning of the World War for a proposed trans-Atlantic flight. The America was not successful because no high-power engines were available, but the British Admiralty ordered a number of them and fitted them in England with two French Anzani engines of about 100 horsepower each, known as "small America's," and they were used to patrol submarine areas. Curtiss then designed the H-12, a larger machine on the same lines which was fitted in England by the Admiralty with twin Rolls-Royce engines. The Admiralty redesigned the hull of the H-12 to provide greater strength and introduced for the first time the steep Vee bottom with double steps.

In the early part of 1917 the Curtiss Co. was given a large order for the British redesigned boat, known in England as F-3 or "large America" and in the United States as H-16. This machine was already in production at the Buffalo works of the Curtiss Co. when the United States declared war but the design was arranged to mount Rolls-Royce engines. It became necessary to redesign the H-16 to provide for Liberty engines. This redesign of the H-16 involved extensive changes in the plane, but time was too valuable to work out a trial installation. Production was started at once and by a combination of good luck and good management no serious difficulties developed.

The H-16 was a biplane flying boat, 46 feet in length, having a span of 96 feet, and equipped with two 360-horsepower Liberty engines. The weight empty was 7,400 pounds and loaded 10,900 pounds. The useful load included four men, radio, two 230-pound depth bombs, and four machine guns. The maximum speed was 95 miles. At this speed the endurance was four hours but patrols at cruising speed of nine hours were made in the war zone.

The H-16 was a twin-engined seaplane with a flying-boat hull, using tractor propellers. The pilot and observer are seated in a cockpit about half-way between the bow and the wings, where they have an excellent view. The H-16 was also fitted with a gunner's cockpit the same as the HS-2. In addition, a wireless operator was carried inside the hull just forward of the wings and back of the pilots. Abaft the wings an additional gun ring was fitted covering the arc of fire above and between the wings and the tail controls and to take care of the region to the rear and below the tail controls; gun mounts were also fitted, swinging on brackets through side doors in the hull. The bomb gear was operated from the forward gunner's cockpit and four bombs were carried, two under either wing. This type of boat proved very serviceable, and was a substantial copy of the same type of boat built in this country for England, differing only in minor details from those supplied to England. This boat was really a successor to the H-12, which was very similar, except that the hull of the H-12 was more like that of the HS-2 both in construction and in the form of the planing fins.

The original proposal for the Naval Aircraft Factory had envisioned the building of training planes only, but this plan was quickly revised since enough trainers were being built by other factories and what was needed were types of aircraft suitable for antisubmarine patrol and convoy duty. The Factory therefore began work on the production of Curtiss H-16 twin-engine flying boats. On October 12 the form for the first boat was laid and the work of ordering material and putting the H-16 into production began. On October 17 actual work on the first boat was started and, on November 2, the first keel was laid.

The upper wing span of the big flying boat measured 96 feet and its hull was 46 feet long. It was powered by two Liberty engines, armed with four machine guns, and carried a crew of four or five-a pilot, one or two observers, a mechanician and a wireless operator.

Plans for the H-16 had to be completely redrawn to fit the production methods employed by the Factory. While the Curtiss Company's experienced foremen and skilled workmen did not need absolutely clear, detailed drawings of every minor part, the inexperienced NAF employees required complete information. This careful and thorough redrawing of the plans, which required the better part of two months, was the work of the Factory's first Chief Engineer, George R. Wadsworth, a major in the Signal Corps, USA, serving in this capacity while on active duty.

On March 27, 1918, just 228 days after ground was broken and only 151 days after receipt of the original plans, the first NAF-built H-16 made its initial flight. A few days later, this aircraft and another H-16 were shipped to Killingholme, England, for war service overseas. These were the first of 50 authorized under the Factory's original contract, the last of which was completed on July 7.

By December 1917, expansion of the planned operating program required an upward revision of scheduled aircraft procurement. The new schedule called for delivery of a total of 864 twin-engine flying boats of the H-16 or similar type by January 1, 1919. The total requirement exceeded not only the number on order but also the capacity of existing manufacturing plants. An enormous expansion of the Naval Aircraft Factory was therefore authorized. It was estimated that $3,250,000 would be required to build the new facilities. Subsequently, an additional $500,000 was needed to cover the cost of a hangar and certain waterfront improvements. In addition to the hangar, there was to be a six-story concrete storehouse and a three-story office building; the assembly building was to be enlarged. When, in June 1918, the original plant was in full production, the new one was very nearly completed. The total space available upon completion was 888,935 square feet, of which 500,000 square feet were used in the manufacture and assembly of aircraft.

Almost before this construction program began, the NAF on February 28, 1918, received an order to produce 100 H-16's in addition to the 50 it was already building. Because there was hardly time to wait for the completion of the new buildings, an ingenious plan of sub-contracting was devised. By it, the facilities of many small manufacturers were put under contract to produce wing panels, boat hulls and other more minor parts which were delivered to the Factory for assembly. By the summer of 1918, when production was at its height, the assembly plant was drawing parts from the Victor Talking Machine Company, seven yacht builders, two small aircraft factories, a number of furniture factories and automobile and sheet metal products factories. Except for the two small aircraft shops, all these plants had been drawn into the work by the Naval Aircraft Factory organization which maintained branch offices in each of its contributory plants. In addition to the nearly 3,700 persons directly engaged at the Naval Aircraft Factory, there were some 7,000 others employed in the manufacture of parts.