BASIS OF PRESENTATION	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION Curtiss-Wright Corporation and its subsidiaries (the Corporation or the Company) is a diversified, multinational manufacturing and service company that designs, manufactures, and overhauls precision components and systems and provides highly engineered products and services to the aerospace, defense, automotive, shipbuilding, processing, oil, petrochemical, agricultural equipment, railroad, power generation, security, and metalworking industries. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Curtiss-Wright and its majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. On March 30, 2012, the Corporation sold its heat treating business to Bodycote plc. The Corporation divested this non-core cyclical business to focus on higher technology engineered services such as specialty coatings and materials testing. As a result of the divestiture, the results of operations for the heat treating business, which were previously reported as part of the Surface Technologies segment, have been reclassified as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Please refer to Footnote 3 of the Corporation's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Corporation have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in the accompanying financial statements. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The most significant of these estimates includes the estimate of costs to complete long-term contracts under the percentage-of-completion accounting methods, the estimate of useful lives for property, plant, and equipment, cash flow estimates used for testing the recoverability of assets, pension plan and postretirement obligation assumptions, estimates for inventory obsolescence, estimates for the valuation and useful lives of intangible assets, warranty reserves, legal reserves, and the estimate of future environmental costs. Changes in estimates of contract sales, costs, and profits are recognized using the cumulative catch-up method of accounting. This method recognizes in the current period the cumulative effect of the changes on current and prior periods. Accordingly, the effect of the changes on future periods of contract performance is recognized as if the revised estimate had been the original estimate. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Corporation incurred unanticipated additional costs, within its Flow Control segment, of $12.2 million and $20.3 million, respectively, on its long-term contract with Westinghouse for disassembly, inspection, and packaging costs related to the reactor coolant pumps (RCP) that the Corporation is supplying for the AP1000 nuclear power plants in China. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected in these financial statements. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Corporation’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of trends or of the operating results for a full year. Corrections to Prior Years Amounts The presentation of net sales and cost of sales in the prior year's statement of earnings has been corrected to separately present the components of product and service revenues and costs of sales. This change in presentation did not affect total revenues, total cost of sales, total gross profit, operating income, or net earnings. Out of Period Correction of an Immaterial Error Related to Three and Six Month Periods ended June 30, 2013 In the third quarter of 2013, the Corporation recorded an out of period adjustment related to the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2013 of $18 million to decrease comprehensive income and increase our deferred tax liability to reflect the tax impact of a May 31, 2013 amendment to our Curtiss-Wright Pension Plan which required a plan remeasurement. This error did not affect our condensed consolidated statement of net earnings or condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2013 or the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2013. The Corporation evaluated the effects of this error on the June 30, 2013 condensed consolidated financial statements and based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative factors, the Corporation determined that the error was not material and, therefore, amendment of previously filed reports is not required. RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS ADOPTION OF NEW STANDARDS Other Comprehensive Income: Presentation of Comprehensive Income In February 2013, new guidance was issued that amends the current comprehensive income guidance. The new guidance requires entities to disclose the effect of each item that was reclassified in its entirety out of accumulated other comprehensive income and into net income on each affected net income line item. For reclassification items that are not reclassified in their entirety into net income, a cross-reference to other required disclosures is required. The new guidance is to be applied prospectively for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012 and interim periods within those years. The adoption of this new guidance did not have an impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Curtiss-Wright Corporation and its subsidiaries (the Corporation or the Company) is a diversified, multinational manufacturing and service company that designs, manufactures, and overhauls precision components and systems and provides highly engineered products and services to the aerospace, defense, automotive, shipbuilding, processing, oil, petrochemical, agricultural equipment, railroad, power generation, security, and metalworking industries.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Curtiss-Wright and its majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

On March 30, 2012, the Corporation sold its heat treating business to Bodycote plc. The Corporation divested this non-core cyclical business to focus on higher technology engineered services such as specialty coatings and materials testing. As a result of the divestiture, the results of operations for the heat treating business, which were previously reported as part of the Surface Technologies segment, have been reclassified as discontinued operations for all periods presented. Please refer to Footnote 3 of the Corporation's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Corporation have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in the accompanying financial statements. Actual results may differ from these estimates. The most significant of these estimates includes the estimate of costs to complete long-term contracts under the percentage-of-completion accounting methods, the estimate of useful lives for property, plant, and equipment, cash flow estimates used for testing the recoverability of assets, pension plan and postretirement obligation assumptions, estimates for inventory obsolescence, estimates for the valuation and useful lives of intangible assets, warranty reserves, legal reserves, and the estimate of future environmental costs. Changes in estimates of contract sales, costs, and profits are recognized using the cumulative catch-up method of accounting. This method recognizes in the current period the cumulative effect of the changes on current and prior periods. Accordingly, the effect of the changes on future periods of contract performance is recognized as if the revised estimate had been the original estimate. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Corporation incurred unanticipated additional costs, within its Flow Control segment, of $12.2 million and $20.3 million, respectively, on its long-term contract with Westinghouse for disassembly, inspection, and packaging costs related to the reactor coolant pumps (RCP) that the Corporation is supplying for the AP1000 nuclear power plants in China. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected in these financial statements.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Corporation’s 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of trends or of the operating results for a full year.

Corrections to Prior Years Amounts

The presentation of net sales and cost of sales in the prior year's statement of earnings has been corrected to separately present the components of product and service revenues and costs of sales. This change in presentation did not affect total revenues, total cost of sales, total gross profit, operating income, or net earnings.

Out of Period Correction of an Immaterial Error Related to Three and Six Month Periods ended June 30, 2013

In the third quarter of 2013, the Corporation recorded an out of period adjustment related to the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2013 of $18 million to decrease comprehensive income and increase our deferred tax liability to reflect the tax impact of a May 31, 2013 amendment to our Curtiss-Wright Pension Plan which required a plan remeasurement. This error did not affect our condensed consolidated statement of net earnings or condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2013 or the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2013. The Corporation evaluated the effects of this error on the June 30, 2013 condensed consolidated financial statements and based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative factors, the Corporation determined that the error was not material and, therefore, amendment of previously filed reports is not required.

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

ADOPTION OF NEW STANDARDS

Other Comprehensive Income: Presentation of Comprehensive Income

In February 2013, new guidance was issued that amends the current comprehensive income guidance. The new guidance requires entities to disclose the effect of each item that was reclassified in its entirety out of accumulated other comprehensive income and into net income on each affected net income line item. For reclassification items that are not reclassified in their entirety into net income, a cross-reference to other required disclosures is required. The new guidance is to be applied prospectively for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012 and interim periods within those years. The adoption of this new guidance did not have an impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.