EXHIBIT 5.1

                                  June 4, 2004

Curtiss-Wright Corporation
4 Becker Farm Road
Roseland, New Jersey 07068

     Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-8
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Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am the Assistant Secretary and Associate General Counsel of Curtiss-Wright
Corporation (the "Company"), and as such I have been asked to render the
following opinion in connection with the registration statement on Form S-8 (the
"Registration Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") in connection with the registration under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, of an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of the Company's
Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Common Stock"), issuable under the
2003 Curtiss-Wright Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan").

As your counsel in connection with the Registration Statement, I have examined
the Plan and the proceedings taken by you in connection with the adoption of the
Plan and the authorization of the issuance of the shares of Common Stock under
the Plan and such other documents as I have deemed necessary to render this
opinion.

Based upon the foregoing, it is my opinion that the shares of Common Stock to be
offered pursuant to the Registration Statement, when issued, delivered and paid
for in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid
and nonassessable.

I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement.


                                              Very truly yours,

                                              /s/ Paul J. Ferdenzi
                                                  Paul J. Ferdenzi