Curtiss Seagull

Period: Between the Wars
Uses: Exploration
First Flight: early 1919
Display Status: On the Museum Floor.

(JPG - 23 k)
© Canada Aviation Museum (Canada)

The Curtiss Seagull appeared shortly after the end of World War I. Although it was probably the best small flying boat of the period, not many were sold. The Seagull had to compete with the low-priced, war-surplus Curtiss MF flying boats from which it had been developed. Though both somewhat small for the job, both the Seagull and the Curtis MF were flown in some Canadian bush operations.

(JPG - 26 k)
© Canada Aviation Museum (Canada)

With its wooden hull, pusher engine, and fabric-covered wings, the Seagull was typical of the flying boats of the period. The hull was constructed of mahogany plywood veneer over a wood frame and could accommodate three people.

Museum Example

Registration #: None
Manufacturer: Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, United States
Manufacture Date: 1920
Construction #: Unknown
Aquisition Date: 1971
Provenance: Exchange with Science Museum, Great Britain

The museum example was the first aircraft to explore the upper Amazon Valley in Brazil. During 1924-25, it conducted an aerial survey of the Parima River headwaters. It was donated to the South Kensington Science Museum in London, where it was slightly damaged in a bombing raid in 1941. Initially on loan, it finally came into the museum's collection in 1968 in exchange for a Douglas Dakota nose-section. The Seagull was restored by the museum.

Specifications

Wing Span:	49 ft 9 in (15.2 m)
Length:	28 ft 10 3/16 in (8.8 m)
Height:	11 ft 9 7/32 in (3.6 m)
Weight, Empty:	1,957 lb (888 kg)
Weight, Gross:	2,726 lb (1,237 kg)
Cruising Speed:	60 mph (97 km/h)
Max Speed:	76 mph (122 km/h)
Rate of Climb:	3,000 ft (914 m)/10 min
Service Ceiling:	5,900 ft (1,800 m)
Range:	288 mi (464 km)
Power Plant:	one Curtiss C-6A, 160 hp, in-line engine

Additional Photographs

The Canada Aviation Museum's Digital Archive contains additional photographs of this aircraft. Images are provided for non-commercial study or research purposes only (see note below) and may not be reproduced or published without the prior consent of the Canada Aviation Museum. Find out more about our photo archive and other search engine options here.

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