Crosby CR-4

The Crosby CR-4 is the follow-on of the Menasco C6S-4 powered Crosby CR-3 (a.k.a. C6R-3) designed to be powered by a twelve-cylinder Ranger V-770 engine{{cite web|title=Crosby CR-4|url=http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Crosby%20CR-4.asp|date=10 March 2012}} The aircraft was designed while Crosby was recovering with a broken back and fractured skull from the 1936 crash of his all metal CR-3. Despite a prior failure causing a crash, money shortages prompted Crosby to reuse the Menasco C6S-4 engine from his former racer. Funding for construction came from fellow racer Kieth Rider. Students from the Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute in Glendale, California assembled the aircraft.{{cite book|title=Grand Central Air Terminal|author=John Underwood|page=74}}

The CR-4 is a low-wing monoplane with conventional landing gear. The construction is all-metal stressed skin. The triangular wings featured a straight leading edge with a long chord tapering to a point at the wingtips. The left cowling held a combination oil tank and surface cooler. The seat and canopy adjusted up six inched in travel for take off and landing visibility. The landing gear used compressed air from a Lux air bottle rather than mechanical or hydraulic mechanism.{{cite book|title=Grand Central Air Terminal|author=John Underwood|page=74}} Copper filings found later in the line, combined with wind resistance prevented one leg from locking.{{cite journal|journal=Experimenter|date=March 1957|page=14|author=Frank Sabo}}

The first flight was performed in April 1938 at Mines Field with severe aileron flutter and a wheel collapse on landing.

• 1938 Greve races. Crosby landed while on fire in the 14th lap from an engine manifold that fell off in flight.{{cite journal|journal=AAHS Journal |issue=54|page=290}}
• 1938 Thompson Trophy races. The CR-4 was repaired just in time for the race but landed with fuel leakage problems.
• 1939 Greve races. Crosby's landing gear failed to retract from a leaking compressed air tank. Crosby landed after 14 laps with a third-place finish.
• 1939 Thompson Trophy. Crosby finished fourth with engine troubles.

In late 1939, the CR-4 was filmed for use in the movie Tail Spin. In 1945, Crosby died while bailing out of a XP-79B. The CR-4 was sold by his wife to be restored by its new owner. The aircraft was placed in storage in a school bus until purchased by Morton Lester. Lester donated the airframe to the EAA Airventure museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it was restored and placed on display.{{cite web|title=Crosby CR-4|url=http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Crosby%20CR-4.asp|date=10 March 2012}}

• Crosby CIP-5 - With the onset of WWII, Crosby developed an all wood interceptor around the CR-4 design and its intended Twelve cylinder Ranger engine. Construction material was wood rather than the advanced all-metal design of the prior racers.{{cite book|title=Race with the wind: how air racing advanced aviation|author=Birch Matthews|page=109}}

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{{commons category|Crosby CR-4}}

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Category:Racing aircraft

Category:Low-wing aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1938