CW-21 Demon

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The Curtiss-Wright CW-21 Interceptor (called Demon long after the war) was a private venture aircraft by the St. Louis Airplane Division of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation to develop a lightweight interceptor aircraft fighter for export. The aircraft was single place low wing monoplane with rearward retracting landing gear that was powered by a 1,000 hp (750 kW) Wright Cyclone nine cylinder air-cooled radial R-1820-G5 engine.

The CW-21 Interceptor was based on the CW-19R military two seat general-purpose monoplane. The all-metal prototype flew in January 1939 and bore a civil experimental registration NX19431. The prototype was designed to carry various combinations of two 0.3 or 0.5 inch (7.62 or 12.7 mm) machines guns, mounted in the nose and synchronized to fire through the propeller. The first sale of the CW-21 Demon, in 1939, was to the Chinese government of three completed airplanes and kits for 32 more. These were armed with one 0.3 and one 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns.

In 1940, The Netherlands ordered 24 examples of a modified version designated the CW-21B (together with a number of two-seat CW-20s), for the ML-KNIL (Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger: Military Aviation of the Royal Netherlands-Indies Army). The modifications consisted of inward retracting landing gear, a semi-retractable tail wheel, two each 0.3 and 0.5 inch (7.62 and 12.7 mm) machine guns, and a slightly large fuel tank. These changes gained an eight mph speed increase at sea level. Deliveries started in June 1940 but only 17 were on-hand when war began with Japan on December 8, 1941. With its rudimentary pilot protection, no self-sealing fuel tanks and light construction, the CW-21B was not unlike the opposing Japanese planes. It had better firepower than the Nakajima Oscar, but worse than the cannon armed Mitsubishi Zero. It's climb rate was far better than either.

Three other CW-21Bs were furnished to the Chinese as kits, assembled in Loi-Wing, that were delivered to the American Volunteer Group. But these crashed in poor visibility on the delivery flight from Rangoon on December 23, 1941.

1 Specifications (CW-21B)
2 Operators
3 References

[edit] Specifications (CW-21B)

[edit] General characteristics

Crew: one, pilot
Length: 27 ft 2 in (8.3 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft (10.7 m)
Height: 8 ft 11 in (2.7 m)
Wing area: 174.3 ft² (16 m²)
Empty: 3,382 lb (1534 kg)
Loaded: 4,500 lb (2041 kg)
Powerplant: one Wright Cyclone R-1820-G5 nine cylinder radial air-cooled engine 1,000 hp (750 kW)