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                                                                  Exhibit 4(iii)



                 FIRST AMENDMENT TO SHORT TERM CREDIT AGREEMENT
                 ----------------------------------------------



     THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO SHORT TERM CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of October
26, 1996 (this "Amendment"), by and between CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION, a
Delaware corporation (the "Borrower"), the lenders parties hereto from time to
time (the "Lenders", as defined further below), and MELLON BANK, N.A., a
national banking association, as agent for the Lenders hereunder (in such
capacity, together with its successors in such capacity, the "Agent");

                              W I T N E S S E T H:

     WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Lenders and the Agent are parties to a Short
Term Credit Agreement, dated as of October 29, 1994 (as amended, the "Credit
Agreement"), pursuant to which the Lenders have made Loans to the Borrower; and

     WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested the Lenders (i) to extend the
Expiration Date to October 24, 1997 and (ii) make certain other changes to the
Credit Agreement; and

     WHEREAS, NationsBank, N.A. (formerly NationsBank of North Carolina, N.A.)
("NationsBank") does not wish to continue as a Lender under the Credit
Agreement; and

     WHEREAS, the Lenders (other than NationsBank) are willing to so extend the
Expiration Date and to amend the Credit Agreement upon the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth; and

     WHEREAS, capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have
the meanings assigned to them in the Credit Agreement;

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual
covenants herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the
parties hereto agree as follows:


     SECTION 1.  AMENDMENTS TO CREDIT AGREEMENT.

     The Credit Agreement is hereby amended as follows:

     (a)  Section 1.01 is amended as follows:

     (i) The date "October 29, 1995" appearing in the definition of the term
"Expiration Date" is hereby amended to be "October 24, 1997".

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     (ii) The  definition of the term "Lender" is amended by adding the words ";
PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  as of the Effective Date of this Amendment,  NationsBank of
North Carolina, N.A. is not a Lender hereunder notwithstanding that it is listed
on the signature pages hereof"  immediately  following the phrase "ceasing to be
Lenders".

     (b) The Revolving Credit Committed Amount of each Lender shall be increased
such that the Total Revolving Credit Committed Amount for each Lender shall be
as follows:

     Mellon Bank, N.A.         $9,500,000
     PNC Bank,
       National Association     6,500,000
     The Bank of Nova Scotia    6,500,000

     (c) In accordance with Sections 1(a) and 1(b) above, after the Effective
Date of this Amendment, the Commitment Percentage for each Lenders shall be as
follows:

     Mellon Bank, N.A.         42.2222%
     PNC Bank,
       National Association    28.8889%
     The Bank of Nova Scotia   28.8889%

     SECTION 2. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT. The effectiveness of this Amendment is
subject to the accuracy as of the date hereof of the representations and
warranties herein contained, to the performance by the Borrower of its
obligations to be performed hereunder on or before the date hereof and to the
satisfaction, on or before October 27, 1996 (the date of such satisfaction being
referred to herein as the "Effective Date"), of the following further conditions
precedent:

          (a) AMENDMENT. Each Lender shall have received a counterpart of this
     Amendment, duly executed by the Borrower.

          (b) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND POTENTIAL
     DEFAULTS. The representations and warranties contained in Section 3 hereof
     shall be true and correct on and as of the Effective Date with the same
     effect as though made on and as of such date. On the Effective Date, no
     Event of Default and no Potential Default shall have occurred and be
     continuing or shall exist or shall occur or exist after giving effect to
     this Amendment and the transactions contemplated hereby. On the Effective
     Date, there shall have been delivered to the Agent a certificate, dated the
     Effective Date and signed on behalf of the Borrower by the President,
     Treasurer or chief financial officer of the Borrower, that (a) the
     representations and warranties set forth in Section 3 hereof are true and
     correct on and as of such date and (b) on such date no Event of Default or
     Potential Default has occurred and is continuing or exists or will occur or
     exist after giving effect to this Amendment and the transactions
     contemplated hereby.



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          (c) PROCEEDINGS AND INCUMBENCY. On the Effective Date, there shall
     have been delivered to the Agent, with an original counterpart for each
     Lender, a certificate dated the Effective Date and signed on behalf of the
     Borrower by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Borrower,
     certifying as to (i) true copies of the articles of incorporation and
     bylaws of the Borrower as in effect on such date (or a certificate of the
     Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Borrower to the effect that there
     have been no changes in such articles of incorporation or bylaws from the
     forms thereof previously delivered to the Agent and the Lenders or, if
     there have been any such changes, attaching copies thereof), (ii) true
     copies of all corporate action taken by the Borrower relative to this
     Amendment and (iii) the names, true signatures and incumbency of the
     officer or officers of the Borrower authorized to execute and deliver this
     Amendment and the other documents and instruments to be executed and
     delivered under the Credit Agreement, as amended hereby. The Agent shall be
     entitled to conclusively rely on such certificate unless and until a later
     certificate revising the prior certificate has been furnished to the Agent.

          (d) OPINIONS OF COUNSEL. On the Effective Date, there shall have been
     delivered to the Agent written opinions, dated the Effective Date, of
     General Counsel to the Borrower in form and substance satisfactory to the
     Agent and as to such matters incident to the transactions contemplated
     hereby as the Agent may reasonably request.

          (e) DETAILS, PROCEEDINGS AND DOCUMENTS. All legal details and
     proceedings in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
     Amendment shall be satisfactory to the Lenders, and, on the Effective Date,
     the Agent shall have received all such counterpart originals or certified
     or other copies of such documents and proceedings in connection with such
     transactions, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and the
     Lenders, as the Agent or any Lender may reasonably request.


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          (f) SATISFACTION OF NATIONSBANK OBLIGATIONS. The Agent and each Lender
     shall have received from NationsBank confirmation in form and substance
     satisfactory to the Agent that the Obligations of Borrower to NationsBank
     have been discharged. Upon the Effective Date, NationsBank shall have no
     further Commitments, obligations or responsiblities under the Credit
     Agreement.

          (g) SUBSTITUTE NOTES. The Borrower shall have delivered to the Agent
     for each Lender new notes in the form attached as Exhibit A to the Credit
     Agreement with the blanks appropriately filled evidencing the change in the
     Revolving Credit Committed Amounts of the Lenders as set forth in Section
     1(b) of this Amendment. Upon receipt of such substitute notes, each of the
     Lenders shall return their original note to the Agent which shall forward
     such notes to the Borrower with an appropriate designation.

     SECTION 3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Borrower hereby represents
and warrants to the Agent and the Lenders that the representations and
warranties set forth in the Credit Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, are
true and correct on and as of the date hereof as if made on and as of the date
hereof, and that no Event of Default or Potential Default has occurred and is
continuing or exists on and as of the date hereof; provided, however, that, for
purposes of the foregoing, all references in the Credit Agreement to "this
Agreement" shall be deemed to be references to this Amendment and the Credit
Agreement as amended by this Amendment.

     SECTION 4. AGREEMENT AMONG LENDERS. To effectuate the changes contemplated
by Sections 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) of this Amendment, the Agent and each Lender
agree that, on the Effective Date, the proceeds of each Lender's increased
Revolving Credit Committed Amount will be used to distribute to NationsBank by
wire transfer in immediately available funds the amount of (a) such Lender's
Commitment Percentage times (b) the amount of Obligations owing by the Borrower
to NationsBank. Each of the parties hereto agrees that such distribution or
payment to NationsBank is being made on behalf of and with the acknowledgement
and consent of the Borrower in order to satisfy the Obligations owing by the
Borrower to NationsBank.

     SECTION 5. EFFECTIVENESS OF AMENDMENT. This Amendment shall be effective
from and after the Effective Date upon satisfaction of the conditions precedent
referred to herein.


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     SECTION 6. EFFECT OF AMENDMENT. The Credit Agreement, as amended by this
Amendment, is in all respects ratified, approved and confirmed and shall, as so
amended, remain in full force and effect.

     SECTION 7. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be deemed to be a contract
under the laws of the State of New York and for all purposes shall be governed
by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of said State.



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     SECTION 8. COUNTERPARTS. This Amendment may be executed in any number of
counterparts and by the different parties hereto on separate counterparts, each
of which, when so executed, shall be deemed an original, but all such
counterparts shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment as of
the date first above written.

                                       CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION


                                       By    /s/ Gary Benschip
                                             ---------------------
                                       Title    Treasurer
                                             ---------------------


                                       MELLON BANK, N.A., individually
                                         and as Agent


                                       By    /s/ Joseph F. Bond Jr.
                                            ----------------------
                                       Title    Joseph F.Bond, Jr.
                                                Vice President
                                             ----------------------


                                       PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION


                                       By    /s/ Alpheus J. Norman, IV
                                             -------------------------
                                       Title    V.P.
                                             -------------------------


                                       THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA

                                       By    /s/ Brian S. Allen
                                             ----------------------------
                                       Title    Sr. Relationship Manager
                                             ----------------------------

                                       NATIONSBANK, N.A. (formerly
                                       NATIONSBANK OF NORTH
                                         CAROLINA, N.A.)


                                       By    /s/ Thomas J. Kane
                                             ----------------------------
                                       Title    Thomas J. Kane
                                                Corporate Finance Officer
                                             ----------------------------