Curtiss R3C-1 Racer

The Curtiss R3C-1 was a single-seat racing biplane built for the U.S. Navy and Army in 1925, the last and most refined of the celebrated Curtiss racers. A compact single-bay biplane with a welded steel-tube fuselage covered in wood veneer and wing surfaces doubling as engine radiators, it was powered by a 600-to-665-horsepower Curtiss V-1400 V-12. Flown by Lt. Cyrus Bettis, the R3C-1 won the 1925 Pulitzer Trophy at nearly 249 mph.

Fitted with streamlined wooden floats and redesignated R3C-2, the same aircraft was flown by Army Lt. James "Jimmy" Doolittle to victory in the 1925 Schneider Trophy seaplane race at an average of about 232 mph, and the day after Doolittle set a world straight-line record of 245.7 mph. The R3C marked the peak of American success in international air racing before military funding for the racers ended.