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The Museum will be closed March 21 to 24, 2023
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Ingenium Canada Aviation and Space Museum

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Curtiss JN-4 “Canuck”

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Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday to Monday
Address
11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, ON
Admission
Browse all Visitor Information for Canada Aviation and Space Museum
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Curtiss JN-4 “Canuck”

Curtiss JN-4 “Canuck” aircraft

Highlights:

  • Used as a training aircraft during the First World War
  • Favoured by barnstormers performing stunts and used for recreation after the war
  • Given the name "Canuck" to distinguish it from its U.S. counterpart, the American Curtiss JN-4
  • Achieved more "firsts" than any other Canadian aircraft, including first aircraft to cross the Canadian Rockies; first aircraft to be mass-produced in Canada; and first to deliver air mail (from Montreal to Toronto, June 24, 1918)
  • First flight was in January 1917

Image Gallery:

Cockpit, CASM-6221

CASM-6221

CASM-6570

CASM-6570

CASM-2985

CASM-2985

History:

The JN-4 (Can) Canuck was a Canadian modification of the Curtiss JN-3 trainer, developed to meet Royal Flying Corps specifications. It was the first aircraft to go into mass production in Canada; about 1 210 were built by Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd in Toronto. Large numbers were used for military training both in Canada and the United States. Many were subsequently sold as war surplus. Because of its availability and low price, the JN-4 (Can) was the preferred mount of many barnstormers in the decade after the war.

The Canuck had ailerons in both the top and bottom wings which provided better lateral control than would have been available with upper-wing ailerons only. The JN-4 (Can) recorded more Canadian firsts than any other aircraft: for example, first mass-produced aircraft, first exported in large quantities, first military flying, first ski flying, first airmail, first aerial survey, and first flight across the Canadian Rockies.

Current Location:

First World War Exhibition, Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Provenance:

Purchase

Manufactured in 1918, this JN-4 was one of 680 machines supplied to the U.S. Air Service by Canadian Aeroplanes Limited. After the First World War, it entered civilian service until it was purchased in 1926 by Edward Faulkner of Honoeye Falls, New York. In 1932, Faulkner decided to store the aircraft, as he rarely used it. He hung it from the roof of his barn, where it remained for over thirty years.

The Museum purchased the aircraft in 1962, and it was put on public display for the first time during Air Force Day in June of the same year. Between 1962 and 1964, the Museum restored the aircraft to represent a typical JN-4 "Canuck" used in the First World War. It is painted as an aircraft from No. 85 Canadian Training Squadron, with the squadron's insignia - a distinctive black cat - on the fuselage.

Technical Information:

Wing Span 13.3 m (43 ft 7 3/8 in)
Length 8.3 m (27 ft 2 1/2 in)
Height 3 m (9 ft 11 in)
Weight, Empty 630 kg (1,390 lb)
Weight, Gross 875 kg (1,930 lb)
Cruising Speed: 97 km/h (60 mph)
Max Speed 119 km/h (74 mph)
Rate of Climb 762 m (2,500 ft) / 10 min
Service Ceiling 3,350 m (11,000 ft)
Range 250 km (155 mi)
Power Plant one Curtiss OX-5, 90 hp, V-8 engine

Curtiss JN-4 Canuck plan

AVIATION
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Artifact No.
1967.0648
Manufacturer
Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd.
Manufacturer Location
Canada
Manufacture Date
1918
Acquisition Date
1962
Registration Number
C227 (RFC)
  • View all the collection highlights at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum
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About Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Located on a former military air base just five kilometers from the Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum focuses on aviation in Canada within an international context – from its beginnings in 1909 to today.
Read more about the museum

Contact Us

Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway
Ottawa ON K1K 2X5
Canada

613-991-3044
1-866-442-4416
contact@IngeniumCanada.org
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  • Plan Your Visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Hours
    • Admission
    • Location and Directions
    • Accessibility
    • Browse All Visitor Information
    • Buy Tickets
    • Online Resources for Science at Home
    • About the Museum
  • What's On at the Museum
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Flights and Simulations
    • Spaces and Studios
  • Bookings and Rentals
    • School Programs
    • Summer Camps
    • Venue Rentals
    • Travelling Exhibitions
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Group Visits
    • Birthday Parties
  • Educational Programs
    • School Programs
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Program Location
      • At the Museum
      • At your School
      • Online
      • Browse all Educational Programs
    • Popular Links
      • 3D Educational Resources
      • Digital Learning Kits
      • Games and Apps
      • Online Resources for Science at Home
      • Try This Out
  • Collection and Research
    • Research Institute
    • Research Projects
    • Collection Resources
      • Ingenium Collection
      • Collection Highlights
      • Conservation and Collection Services
    • Library and Archives
      • Library and Archives Services
      • Library Catalogue
      • Digital Archives
    • Open Access
      • Ingenium APIs
      • Open Data
      • Open Documents
  • Projects and Initiatives
    • Ingenium Channel
    • The Legacy Series
    • Let's Talk Energy