Despite its fighter designation, the F2W was a dedicated racing aircraft. The manufacturer's designation was apparently Wright TX. It was powered by a Wright T-3 Tornado engine, cooled by wing surface radiators, and reportedy achieved 398.5 km/h (247.7 mph). In the 1923 Pullitzer Trophy race, the two red F2Ws took third and fourth place behind the Curtiss R2C racers also entered by the US Navy. The four planes are seen together in photo 648891. A-6743 / 8 ran out of fuel and crashed after finishing just before A-6744 / 7, which reportedly had greater fuel capacity. A-6744 was converted to F2W-2 floatplane but crashed on its first flight as such. Photo from: Museum of Flight

Seeking revenge for its defeat in the 1922 Pulitzer Trophy race, the US Navy successfully procured a new Curtiss racer. A-6692 / 9, flown by Lt Alford Williams, won the 1923 edition and Lt Harold Brow in A-6691 / 10 came second. Both pilots also broke the absolute world speed record, with Williams bringing it to 429 km/h (267 mph). A-6692 was fitted with floats for the cancelled 1924 Schneider Trophy race. A-6691 was sold to the US Army for a sporty $1 to become the Curtiss R-8, serial 23-1235. Photo from: Museum of Flight

A Curtiss CR racer built for the US Navy had won the 1921 Pulitzer Trophy race, although flown for Curtiss by Bert Acosta. Sources disagree whether this was the CR-1, A-6080, or the modified CR-2, A-6081. With the CR-1 upgraded to CR-2 standard, the Navy flew both in the 1922 edition at Selfridge Field, but was beaten by the US Army's variant of the CR, the Curtiss R-6. The CRs were then changed to CR-3 floatplanes to win the 1923 Schneider Trophy. A-6081 also set a speed record for seaplanes and was modified to CR-4 testbed and trainer for the 1926 Schneider races. Photo from: Smithsonian Institution

Photo by Jim Tunney.