1918 Curtiss JN-4D Jenny

In many ways, the Curtiss Jenny could be considered the Model T of the skies. Roughly a contemporary of Ford’s famous auto, the Jenny would eventually help to establish the practical reality of American aviation.

The Jenny was the first aircraft purchased in quantity by the American military, and consequently was the first mass-produced American aircraft. Used to train over ninety percent of American pilots during WWI, it played a key role at the beginning of what would become the most powerful air force on Earth.

Before 1927, the Jenny would also be the first aircraft many American’s would ever see close up, let alone fly in. Post-war surplus Jennies, bought by enterprising barnstormers, flew across rural America to sell rides, thrill spectators, and inspire young pilots-to-be. It would have been rare indeed to find an American pilot that had not flown in the Jenny. Charles Lindbergh’s first aircraft was a Jenny bought in 1923 for $500.

The Jenny began as a combination of two aircraft: the model J, designed by the British engineer, B. Douglas Thomas, under contract to Glenn Curtiss; and the model N, which was a similar design under parallel development. Both were developed as two-seat tractor aircraft, powered by the new Curtiss OX-5 engine.

With the best features of the J and N models combined, the American Army began ordering Jennies in December 1914, under the official designation JN2. The “Jenny” nickname followed, derived from the JN designation prefix.