Curtiss-Wright CW-1 Junior

The Curtiss-Wright CW-1 Junior was a moderately priced sport aircraft produced before the Depression for the general public. Its affordability, short field capability, sturdy construction, low handling speed, and good visibility made it an easy and safe plane to fly. The Junior soon became the most popular flivver-type airplane of the early 1930s and represents a significant milestone in the "everyman" aircraft movement of the period.Karl H. White, Walter Beech, and H. Lloyd Child designed and produced the Skeeter, later renamed the Junior, which was powered by a 3-cylinder 45 hp Szekely SR-3-O engine. The Museum's aircraft has a rich background of many years on the air show circuit performing the "Flying Farmer" routine in which a "bystander" attempts to fly the plane with comical but safe results. It was donated to the Museum in 1959.