Curtiss flying-boat development grew out of the Daily Mail's prewar prize for an Atlantic crossing. Nearly 500 H-12s were built, and the type served the US Navy, the Royal Naval Air Service, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, and other operators. An aircraft that first flew in 1914 remained in service into the 1920s, with rumors that a few lasted into the 1930s. Its endurance was about six hours, and the discussion also connects Curtiss and Felixstowe boats with Rolls-Royce Eagle engines. The H-12's international service shows that rapid wartime design turnover did not prevent an early flying boat from proving reliable.
Notable Point · 25:43-27:56
Curtiss H-12: a durable international flying-boat design
The Curtiss H-12 linked prewar transatlantic ambitions to a widely used design that remained in service into the 1920s.