Standard J

Standard J
Role	Trainer
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Standard Aircraft Corporation
Designer	Charles Healy Day
First flight	1916
Number built	1,600+
Unit cost	$6,000
Developed from	Sloan H series

The Standard J was a two-seat basic trainer two-bay biplane produced in the United States from 1916 to 1918 powered by a four-cylinder inline Hall-Scott A-7a engine. It was constructed from wood with wire bracing and fabric covering. The J-1 was built as a stopgap to supplement the Curtiss JN-4 in production.

Development

Charles Healy Day had designed the preceding Sloan H series of aircraft and continued the line under the Standard Aero Corporation (later Standard Aircraft Corporation). Four companies, Standard, Dayton-Wright, Fisher Body, and Wright-Martin, delivered 1,601 J-1s between June 1917 and June 1918. The Standard J-1 can be differentiated from the Curtiss JN series by its slightly swept-back wing planform, triangular king posts above the upper wings, and the landing gear mounted behind the lower wing's leading edge.

Operational history

Standard J-1 providing joyrides.

Although produced in large numbers, its four-cylinder Hall-Scott A-7a engine was unreliable and vibrated badly. While JN-4 production outnumbered J-1s by about two to one to June 1918, fatalities in JN-4s versus J-1s was about seven to one as a result of the limited use of the J-1s. Few later production J-1s left their delivery crates. In June 1918, even while training was at a fever pitch, all Standard J-1s were grounded, and although considered for adaptation to the OX-5 engine used by the Curtiss JN-4, the $2,000 conversion cost was not cost-effective, and the supply of JN-4s was sufficient for training needs. Contracts for 2,600+ JS-1s were canceled, and those not used for ground instruction by the US Army were sold as surplus or scrapped. The manufacturer of its competitor (Curtiss JN series) bought surplus J-1s for modification to use different powerplant, and resale.

Many J-1s carried on with civilian flying schools, joy-riding, and barnstorming operations until they were worn out, or were forced into retirement by new air transport legislation in 1927 which banned wooden passenger transports.

Variants

Standard J, modified with an enclosed cabin by T. Claude Ryan, in flight over San Diego

• Sloan H series - trainers and reconnaissance aircraft from 1913
• Standard H series - production by Standard of Sloan H-series
• Standard J - first Standard-designed variant
• Standard J-1 - trainer for U.S. Army
• Standard SJ-1 - J-1 with additional pair of forward wheels to prevent noseovers
• Standard JR-1 - advanced trainer for US Army
• Standard JR-1B - mail carrier for US Post Office, modification of JR-1
• Standard E-4 - redesignated JR-1B mailcarrier

War-surplus conversions

• Curtiss Night Mail - 1922 mailplane conversion of J-1 by Curtiss with new wings (about 6 converted)
• Lincoln Standard L.S.5 J-1 modified with an open cockpit for four passengers
• Nicholas-Beazley-Standard - J-1 aircraft modified by Nicholas-Beazley
• Ryan Standard - J-1 with a 180 hp Hispano Suiza engine and an enclosed cabin for four passengers fitted by the Ryan Flying Company (9 converted)
• Sikorsky Standard - civil trainer with Sikorsky-Gluhareff Parasol wing (also known as Standard SJ)

Operators

United States

• US Army Air Service
• US Navy
• US Post Office
• The San Diego - Los Angeles Airlines

Survivors

Standard J-1 at the USAF Museum, showing the wing sweepback

Over a dozen J-1s are on display or being restored. Others projects are incomplete and awaiting restoration.

• Two J-1s are on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
  • One has a 100 hp Hall-Scott A-4A engine is displayed uncovered.
  • The second displayed J-1 (s/n 1141) has the rarer 100 hp Curtiss OXX-6 engine.
• A Hispano-Suiza J-1 (s/n 1956) is displayed at EAA AirVenture Museum.
• A OXX-6-powered J-1 (s/n 2434 registered and flown as N9477) is part of the collection of the Cass County, North Dakota's Bonanzaville, U.S.A. Museum but is currently on loan to the Fargo Air Museum.
• Hispano-Suiza 8-powered Standard J-1 s/n 581 is displayed and flown, at the Owl's Head Transportation Museum, Owls Head, Maine
• s/n 823H on loan to Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, Hammondsport, New York from the Henry Ford Museum,
• s/n 1000 James Hammond, Yellow Springs, Ohio
• s/n 1582 Kermit Weeks, is displayed at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida (composite of two aircraft)
• "N62505" Historic Aircraft Museum, Creve Coeur Airport, Missouri.
• s/n 1598 reported existent, location unknown
• s/n 2969 Michael Cilurso, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania (assembled from original components – period kit)
• s/n 4598 is displayed at the Pioneer Flight Museum, Kingsbury, Texas.
• s/n 5083 is displayed at the San Diego Aerospace Museum with a Wright-Hispano E-2 with E-3 heads. It was previously part of Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Collection, in Rhinebeck, New York.
• One, s/n unknown, was being restored by John Barker, Contoocook, New Hampshire.
• One, s/n unknown, was being restored for the Golden Age Air Museum, Bethel, Pennsylvania.

Specifications (SJ-1)

Standard J-1 with Hispano-Suiza engine

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 26 ft 2 in (7.98 m)
• Wingspan: 43 ft 10 in (13.36 m)
• Height: 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m)
• Gross weight: 2,025 lb (920 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Hall-Scott A-5, 175 hp (130 kW)

1 × Hispano-Suiza 8 (one of several engines used in post-war modifications), 150 hp (110 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 72 mph (120 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 64 mph ( km/h)
• Stall speed: 40 mph ( km/h)
• Range: 350 miles (560 km)
• Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Airco DH.4
• Airco DH.6
• Albatros C.III
• Avro 504
• Caudron G.III
• Martin TT

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States

References

Notes

Bibliography