BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
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 commercial/industrial, defense, and energy markets. 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. 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, 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. In the three month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, there were no individual significant changes in estimated contract costs. 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 2013 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. Changes in Segment Presentation As a result of certain organizational changes in 2014, the Corporation revised its reportable segments to align to the major markets it currently serves: Commercial/Industrial, Defense, and Energy. Prior period financial information has been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. The change in reportable segments did not impact the Corporation's previously reported Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. See Note 10 of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on the Corporation's reportable segments. 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.

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 commercial/industrial, defense, and energy markets.

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.

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, 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. In the three month periods ended March 31, 2014 and 2013, there were no individual significant changes in estimated contract costs. 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 2013 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.

Changes in Segment Presentation

As a result of certain organizational changes in 2014, the Corporation revised its reportable segments to align to the major markets it currently serves: Commercial/Industrial, Defense, and Energy. Prior period financial information has been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. The change in reportable segments did not impact the Corporation's previously reported Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. See Note 10 of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on the Corporation's reportable segments.

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.