Curtiss JN-4 Jenny — Construction Plans Pack

Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” — Plans for the Most Famous American Trainer of WWI

The Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” is the airplane that taught America to fly. Built in the thousands as a primary trainer during the First World War for the US Army Signal Corps and the Royal Flying Corps, the Jenny went on to become the iconic post-war “barnstormer” — the aircraft of the wing-walkers, parachutists, and gypsy pilots who introduced aviation to small towns across America in the 1920s. This download is the original construction article from the 1931 Flying and Glider Manual.

What’s Inside the Download

• 6 pages of period Curtiss JN-4 content
• 3-view drawings, dimensions, and original specifications
• Curtiss OX-5 V8 engine installation notes
• Period photographs showing JN-4 and JN-4D variants
• Construction notes covering the wood-and-fabric biplane structure

Two-Place Tandem Open-Cockpit Biplane — A Period-Accurate Reference

The JN-4 is a conventional wood-and-fabric biplane: spruce spars, wood ribs, fabric covering, and steel-tube engine mount and control surface fittings. This document is best understood as a period historical reference for replica builders, museum researchers, and aviation historians, rather than a turn-key build set.

Performance and Specifications

• Configuration: Two-seat tandem open-cockpit biplane
• Wingspan: 43 ft 7 in (13.3 m)
• Length: 27 ft 4 in (8.33 m)
• Empty weight: ~1,580 lb (717 kg)
• Engine: Curtiss OX-5 V8 (90 hp)
• Cruise: ~60 mph (97 km/h)
• Stall: ~45 mph (72 km/h)
• Construction: Wood, fabric, welded steel-tube fittings

Who This Is For

Serious replica builders working from museum-derived measured drawings will find this period reference indispensable. Aviation historians and WWI-era enthusiasts will value the original specifications.

About This Document — Public Domain Historical Source

This PDF is sourced from the 1931 edition of the Modern Mechanics and Inventions Flying and Glider Manual. The publication is in the public domain in the United States, and the JN-4 design itself, dating from 1915, is long out of copyright.

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