Curtiss JN-4 Jenny
 Curtiss JN-4 Jenny. Photo: George Johnson, Aviation Section, US Army Signal Corps, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Curtiss |
|---|---|
| Model | Curtiss JN-4 Jenny |
| Type | Trainer |
| Country |  United States
|
| Number built | 6,813 |
| Registered in the US | 20 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 2 |
| Engine | Curtiss OX-5, 90 hp |
| Cruise speed | 60 mph (JN-4D) |
| Service ceiling | 6,500 ft (JN-4D) |
| Max weight | 1,920 lb (JN-4D)
|
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The Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" is an American World War I training biplane that became the backbone of American civil aviation after the war.[1] Curtiss built 6,813 JNs. Thousands of surplus Jennys were sold cheaply to private owners and carried the barnstorming era of the 1920s, which got Americans interested in flying.[1] In the U.S. there are 20 with a valid registration.[2]
History
Curtiss began the JN series in 1915. It was sold as combining the best of its Model J and Model N trainers, but it was really a modified Model J.[1] The design was commissioned from Benjamin Douglas Thomas, an Englishman who had worked at Sopwith.[1] "Jenny" comes from the letters JN. A version built in Canada was called the Curtiss Canuck.[1] The U.S. Army Air Service flew Jennys until 1927.[1]
The Inverted Jenny
A Jenny appeared on the first U.S. airmail stamps in 1918. On one sheet of 100 of the 24-cent stamps, the airplane was printed upside down. That printing error is known as the "Inverted Jenny".[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 20 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| JN4D | 12 |
| JN4C | 3 |
| JN4D2 REPLICA | 1 |
| JN-4-D JENNY | 1 |
| JN4H | 1 |
| JN-4 | 1 |
| JN4CAN | 1 |
Specifications (JN-4D)
| Item | JN-4D |
|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
| Length | 27 ft 4 in |
| Wingspan | 43 ft 7+3/4 in |
| Height | 9 ft 10+1/2 in |
| Wing area | 352 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,390 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,920 lb |
| Engine | Curtiss OX-5, 90 hp (V-8 water-cooled piston engine) |
| Propeller | fixed-pitch propeller |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph |
| Cruise speed | 60 mph |
| Service ceiling | 6,500 ft |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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US Airmail stamp: Inverted Jenny Air Mail Issue of 1918, 24c. Photo: Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Public domain -
Curtiss Twin JN (JN-5) prototype. Photo: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives, Public domain -
Curtiss JN-3 of the U.S. Photo: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives, Public domain -
An ambulance version of the Curtiss JN-4 ("Jenny") during field exercises. Photo: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives, Public domain -
Two Curtiss JN-4s ("Jennies") in flight. Photo: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives, Public domain -
Curtiss JN-4 Jenny. Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Billy Hathorn assumed (based on c, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Curtiss JN-4 "barnstormer" with wingwalker being picked up by a boat. Photo: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives, Public domain -
Curtiss "Canuck" JN-4 (Canadian). Photo: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives, Public domain
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Wikipedia, "Curtiss JN Jenny", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.