The land-based version had a tail-dragger undercarriage for ground-running that included two main legs under center mass and a tailwheel at the rear. The floatplane-equipped version has a large floatplane under centerline and smaller floats under each lower wing member for balancing on the water.
Dimensions included a length of 25.5 feet, a wingspan of 34 feet, and a height of 10.9 feet. Empty weight was 2,090 lb against a gross rating of 2,792 lb. Performance-wise, the biplane could reach speeds of 126 miles-per-hour, fly up to a ceiling of 15,200 feet, and out to a range of 470 miles.
In practice, the aircraft were well-received. They proved to be robust, agile, and reliable for the purposes of training and soldiered on even beyond the tumultuous war years into the 1950s and 1960s. Due to post-war surplus, the design fell into private hands and was used as both a crop-duster in agriculture and as a sporting racer / aerobatic performer - such was its versatility.
Beyond the XN3N-1 one-off prototype that started it all, the series included the N3N-1 production form with its Wright J-5 radial of 220 horsepower, 179 airframes being built to the standard. The XN3N-2 was another one-off prototype and this carried the Wright R-760-96 radial of 240 horsepower for testing purposes. The XN3N-3 was another one-off prototype pulled from the N3N-1 production stock for testing.
The definitive form, however, was the N3N-3 of which 816 examples were built in all. This version carried the Wright R-760-2 "Whirlwind 7" series radial engine of 235 horsepower and is the model that went on to make a name for itself in service and in its post-service lives. The USN utilized the design for its Midshipmen's Curriculum even into the 1960s.
The aircraft also operated with elements of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
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