Curtiss NC-4

airplane

Also known as: NC-4

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Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

The Curtiss NC-4 was a multiengine flying boat that achieved a significant milestone in aviation history. It was the successor to the Curtiss Model E flying boat and was designed by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, a pioneer aviator and aircraft manufacturer. In May 1919, the NC-4 completed the first aerial crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, flying from Newfoundland to Portugal, with stops in the Azores, before reaching Great Britain. This journey took 54 hours and 31 minutes over 23 days, marking the beginning of an era of long-distance flights.123

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David Watson Taylor
Navy, including the NC-4, first plane to fly the Atlantic (1919). He made many other contributions to aeronautics in 15 years of service on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
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Navy, including the NC-4, first plane to fly the Atlantic (1919). He made many other contributions to aeronautics in 15 years of service on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
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history of flight
The headliners
Navy Curtiss NC-4 (successor to the Curtiss Model E flying boat) made it from Newfoundland to Portugal by way of the Azores Islands before flying on to Great Britain, compiling 54 hours 31 minutes in the air over its 23-day trip. The following month, former British…
Read More
Navy Curtiss NC-4 (successor to the Curtiss Model E flying boat) made it from Newfoundland to Portugal by way of the Azores Islands before flying on to Great Britain, compiling 54 hours 31 minutes in the air over its 23-day trip. The following month, former British…
Read More