GORDON HUBBARD COLLECTION
No. 3404. Orenco D2 PW-3 (64144) US Army Air Service
Aeroplane Photo Supply (APS) Photo No. 1749

Orenco D2 PW-3

04/30/2007. Remarks by Jack Mckillop: "Ordnance Engineering Corporation of Long Island, New York had offered their Model D to the USAAS in late 1918. In January 1919 the prototype was tested by Lieutenant Clarence B. Coombs at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, and showed such an excellent performance that 50 aircraft were ordered. However, the contract was put out to tender; won by Curtiss the aircraft was redesigned including overhanging, balanced ailerons (elephant ailerons) on the upper wing. The first Curtis-Orenco Model D was tested at McCook Field on August 26, 1921.

Orenco (Ordnance Engineering Corporation had adopted the acronym in 1919) developed the D into the D2. It had wings of unequal span with elephant ailerons and used the same 300 hp Hispano-Suiza H eight-cylinder liquid-cooled engine. The USAAS ordered three of these aircraft designated PW-3 (pursuit-water cooled), s/n 64142 to 64144, in FY 1921.

The D2 is believed to have achieved a speed of 165 mph (266 kmh) during a test flight before delivery to the USAAS. Only one of these aircraft, s/n 64142, was delivered to McCook Field, during 1921 and was assigned McCook Field Project Number "P-229" and was subjected to static and taxiing tests during which the authorities decided the plane was not airworthy. Subsequently it was never flown and was surveyed on October 24, 1926. The other two were never delivered and soon Orenco went out of business."


Created April 13, 2004