Stories About Our Objects

Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny" - WAAAM's Crown Jewel

The Barnstormer's Aeroplane of Choice

WAAAM founder Terry Brandt had been searching for a Curtiss Jenny for many years without success before Ben Davidson (now WAAAM Chief Pilot) found this one online. It had been dismantled in the nineteen twenties and stored in a barn in Ohio since then.

Designed by Glenn Curtiss and B. Douglas Thomas, the Curtiss JN-4D “Jenny” was the trainer of choice in both England and the US during World War I. Over 9,000 were built by seven companies and it’s estimated that 95% of American and British WWI pilots received training in the Jenny.

One version of the Jenny was used by General Pershing in 1916 to pursue Pancho Villa after he’d attacked the U.S. 13th Cavalry at Camp Furlong, New Mexico.

When WWI ended the Curtiss Airplane Company bought back large numbers of Jennys, refurbished them and resold them in the civilian market. Many pilots used their Army training to introduce America to flight by “barnstorming” or flying from town to town to show off with acrobatics and wingwalking and to sell rides.

The first scheduled air mail flights in the USA in 1918 also used Jennys.

After buying the Jenny as a project and bringing it to Hood River Terry, Tom Murphy and Jeremy Young began restoring her to flying condition.

Boxes of parts were inventoried, the original fabric was removed and every piece of the airframe got the attention it needed to bring the airplane back to life. The pile of parts was exceptionally complete and in good condition. The wood in the airframe is more than 95% original, all the turnbuckles (~300 of them) are original, and the tires, bungees, control wires and fabric were replaced.

At the time the Jennys were built the covering material was either Grade A Cotton or Irish linen. With an eye to the historical importance of this airplane Jeremy Young provided a 50-60 year-old stock of Irish linen to cover our Jenny. The dope finish was applied by hand with horsehair brushes just as was done when they were new.

On the morning of May 17, 2008 Tom Murphy pulled the prop to start the OX-5 engine and museum founder Terry Brandt flew our Jenny into WAAAM history with three circuits of the airport.