Wright F2W

The Wright F2W was an American racing aircraft built by Wright Aeronautical for the United States Navy to compete in the 1923 Pulitzer Trophy race. It was built mainly of fabric covered wood and powered by the Wright T-3 Tornado engine, and the first example flew in August 1923. Two were built. In the Pulitzer race the first aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed, while the second, which carried twice as much fuel, finished third at 230.06 mph. That second aircraft was later converted into a floatplane, the F2W-2, to take part in the 1924 Schneider Trophy race. It proved very unstable in testing, and on its only flight, on 11 October 1924, the torque of the Tornado engine flipped it onto its back as it tried to land in the Delaware River at Philadelphia, badly injuring the pilot.