Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company went public in 1916 with Glenn Curtiss as president.

It became the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world during World War I employing 18,000 in Buffalo and 3,000 in Hammondsport, New York. The company produced 10,000 aircraft during World War I, more than 100 in a single week. It is particularly famous for the Curtiss JN4 two-seat biplane, one of the most popular planes of all time.

Other notable Curtiss aircraft include the flying boats made for the United States Navy, including the NC-4, the first airplane to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1919.

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company became part of Curtiss-Wright Corporation with 11 other Wright and Curtiss affiliated companies on July 5, 1929.