Aeromarine 39

Naval Trainer Biplane Aircraft [ 1917 ]

The Aeromarine 39 became the first American aircraft to land on a moving carrier in 1922.

Authored By: JR Potts, AUS 173d AB and Dan Alex | Last Edited: 02/25/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

An Aeromarine 39 goes airborne with witnesses present.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

In 1917, the United States Navy entered into a contract with the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company for a new twin-seat biplane trainer aircraft. From the period spanning 1910 to 1924, Aeromarine delivered various aircraft types for civilian and military service - mailplanes, floatplane fighters and night time bombers among the group. With its key location near the Atlantic - its facilities were at Keyport, New Jersey - Aeromarine held perfect access to designing and developing aircraft intended t fly over water. The USN request was met by the Aeromarine 39 design and was eventually used as a land- and water-based trainer. Production totaled 150 aircraft.

The Aeromarine 39's design and construction was highly conventional for the period. It featured a slab-sided fuselage with seating for two in line. Its biplane wing arrangement included an upper and lower wing section, these supported by parallel struts and cabling for strength and control. The engine was fitted at the front of the fuselage in the usual way and drove a two-bladed wooden propeller. The empennage consisted of a single vertical tail gin with its applicable horizontal tailplanes. The undercarriage came in two forms depending on the service needed - for seaborne operations, pontoon floats were featured with a quick-removal capability, allowing a twin-wheeled undercarriage with tailskid arrangement to be used for land-based service of the aircraft.

Of the 150 total aircraft manufactured by Aeromarine, the initial fifty units were outfitted with the Hall-Scott A-7 engine of 100 horsepower (same as on the Standard J-1 trainers) as well as twin floats. These later came to be known as the "Aeromarine 39A" for the line went on to include a revised variant - the Aeromarine 39B. The 39B model held a modified floatplane undercarriage that featured a single pontoon with outboard floats instead. The engine was now switched over to a Curtiss OXX series system of 100 horsepower due to the Hall-Scott's propensity to catch fire. The vertical tail unit was granted more surface area for improved controlling. Dimensions included a length of 9.25 meters, a wingspan of 14.3 meters and a height of 4 meters. Maximum speed was 73 miles per hour with a range of 273 miles and service ceiling up to 8,200 feet.

The Aeromarine 39 soldiered on as time wore on - even into the early interwar years preceding World War 2 (1939-1945) and following World War 1 (1914-1918). World War 1 ended with the Armistice of November 1918, bringing the bloody conflict to a formal close. The Aeromarine 39s in service lived out the rest of their days from then on. Some examples ended in service with the Chinese.

It was during this after-war period that an Aeromarine 39 made American naval history when - On October 26, 1922 - Lieutenant Commander Godfrey deCourcelles Chevalier -piloted his Aeromarine 39 onto the deck of the USS Langley (CV-1/AV-3) as it steamed forward at 10 knots. Chevalier successfully landed his aircraft on the moving vessel - marking the first such landing on an American carrier.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company - USA
Manufacturer(s)

China; United States
Operators

1917
Service Year

United States
National Origin

Retired
Project Status

2
Crew

150
Units

MARITIME / NAVY
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.

TRAINING
Developed ability to be used as a dedicated trainer for student pilots (typically under the supervision of an instructor).

30.3 ft
(9.25 meters)
Length

47.0 ft
(14.32 meters)
Width/Span

14.8 ft
(4.50 meters)
Height

1,940 lb
(880 kilograms)
Empty Weight

2,504 lb
(1,136 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight

+564 lb
(+256 kg)
Weight Difference

1 x Hall Scott A-7 piston engine developing 100 horsepower driving a two-bladed propeller unit at the nose.
Propulsion

73 mph
(117 kph | 63 knots)
Max Speed

8,202 ft
(2,500 m | 2 miles)
Ceiling

273 miles
(439 km | 237 nm)
Range

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

None.

Aeromarine Model 39A - Twin-Float Seaplane; fitted with 1 x Hall-Scott A-7 engine of 100 horsepower.

Aeromarine Model 39B - Twin-Float Seaplane; fitted with Curtiss OXX water-cooled V-8 engine; increased wingspan; single-pontoon outrigger floats; enlarged vertical tail.

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for Special Forces

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Images

1 / 3

An Aeromarine 39 goes airborne with witnesses present.

2 / 3

An Aeromaine 39B comes in for a historic landing aboard the USS Langley

3 / 3

A distance shot of the Aeromarine A39B landing on the deck of the USS Langley

❮ ❯

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)