One of the more unusual and historic sites visitors to Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) may notice is the ¾-scale replica of the Curtiss A-1 Triad, the Navys first aircraft that was purchased in 1911 from aircraft manufacturer Glenn L. Curtiss.
Located at the corner of Saufley and Wright Roads, the A-1 Triad model is the centerpiece of FRCSWs Curtiss Park, appropriately named after the aircrafts developer.
The initials, A-1, were derived from the Navys labeling of the aircraft as simply Aeroplane One, since it was the first one purchased. The term Triad referred to the amphibian design.
The A-1 Triad replica weighs approximately 600 pounds and is about 20 feet in length, and was built by 19 FRCSW artisans as part of Naval Air Station North Islands (NASNI) Centennial of Naval Aviation celebration.
To build the A-1, artisans visited the San Diego Air and Space Museum which houses a full scale A-1 Triad. They photographed the airplane and reverse engineered the aircraft from the photos to create a design.
The models ribs are aluminum, and the original canvass on the aircraft is perforated aluminum. The aircrafts propeller is made of mahogany and the spindles are oak. The wood is treated to protect it from the elements.
On July 6, 2011, the model was hoisted by crane and attached to its stand. A ribbon-cutting ceremony 16 days later officially christened the park.
Curtiss Park is also the first of its kind on NASNI to use a subterranean irrigation system, or a smart landscaping concept. The irrigation system saves approximately 136,000 gallons of water yearly.