Curtiss-Wright Annual Report (1954), 1955-03-07

Document Type: Report (Business).

Purpose: Business activities.

Authority: Company (Manufacturer).

Document Number: 1954 Curtiss-Wright Corporation Annual Report

Scope: Annual company business report written and published in March 1955 by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation, including its subsidiaries and divisions. During this period, aviation had begun to transition from propeller to jet engines. Thus, the company was both producing and supporting large radial engines while trying to diversify into jet engines and other products.

Contents: Annual business information, including profit and loss data and future business outlook, in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and regulations. The report looks at both existing and future products and markets.

From page 12: "During 1954, the Turbo Compound engine continued in its position as unquestioned world choice for high-speed, long-range transports. Additional orders from abroad brought to 27 the number of domestic and foreign airlines that have purchased Lockheed Super Constellation or Douglas DC-7 transports powered by Turbo Compounds.

To provide a conservative engine for the future with qualities of profit, power, speed, range, and safety, the Wright Aeronautical Division now offers a new engine concept—-the De-Rated Turboprop. Future four-engined transports with De-Rated Turboprops will be capable of crossing the continent in 5½ hours or the Atlantic in 72 hours and will have nearly double the earning capacity of present type transports through larger payloads and high utility. This engine, for maximum safety and reliability, will operate at 60 percent of its rated power, providing low stress levels, low noise levels, and low operating temperatures."

From page 13: "The Royal Canadian Air Force has announced that it intends to use Turbo Compound engines in the British Britannia transport. The U.S. military forces use this engine in a wide variety of long-range aircraft.

During the year 1954, announcement was made of four new military aircraft powered by the Curtiss-Wright J65 Jet engines — the Douglas A4D "Skyhawk" attack bomber for the U.S. Navy, the Lockheed F-104 fighter for the U.S. Air Force, the Grumman F9F-9 "Tiger" supersonic Navy fighter, and the North American FJ-4 "Fury" Navy shipboard fighter."