“RP” Drawings IXK, Undated

The Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical Engine Drawing Collection is a very large collection containing not only drawings of aircraft engine parts, but drawings of electrical power generators the company produced during the 1950s and 1960s. Researchers should be aware that to effectively use the collection, the researcher must know the engine part number. The collection contains a limited number of parts catalogs and manuals, but the collection does not contain all of the engines produced by the company.

Series I, Administrative Records, contains records concerning microfilming of the engine drawings. The records are sorted according to type of engine – reciprocating, turbine, ram jet, after burner, test equipment – and according to part number. With a part number, the researcher can locate when the drawing was microfilmed, the microfilm roll where the drawing is located, and the page number on the microfilm roll. Once the drawing was microfilmed, the drawing was destroyed. Curtiss-Wright microfilmed drawings up until the mid-1960s. Copies of the microfilmed were sent to Air Force bases with Curtiss-Wright engines for use by aircraft mechanics and technicians. This series also contains information on microfilming contracts.

Series II, Manuals, contains a limited number of overhaul manuals, service and maintenance manuals, engine specification manuals, and parts catalogs for a small number of engines. The manuals were removed from their binders and placed in folders.

Series III, Microfilm, consists of approximately 1324 rolls of microfilm located in 26 microfilm cabinet drawers in the Special Collections and Archives off-site storage facility. To use the microfilm, researchers must know the exact roll and page where a part drawing is located. To obtain that information, see Series I. This series does not include all of the microfilm produced by Curtiss-Wright; a few reels were lost due to vinegar syndrome infestation.

Series IV, Engine Drawings, contains over a thousand engine part drawings. The drawings are stored in two Hollinger boxes, three Record Center boxes, 55 map case drawers, and 990 2”x2”x48” drawing tubes, which are located in the Special Collections and Archives off-site storage facility. The drawings are organized according to size beginning with Size A (8 ½ x 11) sheets through Size E (up to 96 inches long). Again, to effectively use this series the researcher needs to know the part number. The drawings are generally of parts not microfilmed, or the latest revision of a part that was previously microfilmed. As noted in the Processing Notes above, some of the drawings were lost due to mold damage prior to receipt of the records.