Sikorsky S-38

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-38

The S-38 was developed from the Sikorsky S-34 and S-36. The S-38 first flew on
May 25, 1928. The United States Navy ordered two aircraft (designated XPS-2) and
Pan American Airways was an early customer.

A total of 101 aircraft were built, manufactured originally by the Sikorsky
Manufacturing Corporation of Long Island, New York, and by the Sikorsky Aviation
Corporation in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sikorsky was acquired by United Aircraft
and Transport Corporation (now United Technologies Corporation) in
mid-production.


Role
Flying boat

National origin
United States

Manufacturer
Sikorsky Aircraft

Designer
Igor Sikorsky

First flight
25 May 1928

Introduction
October 1928

Primary users
Pan American Airways
New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line

Number built
101

Unit cost

$37,000 in 1930


Developed from
Sikorsky S-34
Sikorsky S-36

Some famous owners include:

Aviator and businessman Howard Hughes

Aviator Charles Lindbergh – Surveyed South American and Pacific Ocean routes for
Pan Am with Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

Robert R. McCormick, newspaper publisher – Surveyed commercial air routes
between North America and Europe.

Venture capitalist John Hay Whitney – Luxury transport

The Flying Hutchinsons – First attempted around-the-world flight by a family.

Filmmakers Martin and Osa Johnson – In the zebra-striped S-38 Osa's Ark, with
companion giraffe-patterned S-39 Spirit of Africa, explored Africa extensively,
making safari movies and books. Their S-38 was cited in the plot line of The
Phantom comic strip adventure (May 2 - August 30, 2008) as the reason Kit Walker
bought an original for $3.25M (USD). The sale was by invitation only and the new
owner had to depart at night because all 101 built were documented as lost, not
accounting for the two survivors listed below.

Herbert Fisk Johnson, Jr. – Explored the northeastern part of Brazil in search
of the carnauba palm, and to research carnauba wax, the source of the world's
hardest natural wax. The Spirit of Carnauba, a replica of this aircraft, is on
display in Fortaleza Hall on the S. C. Johnson campus.

Specifications (S-38-A)

General characteristics
Crew: two
Capacity: ten passengers
Length: 40 ft 3 in (12.27 m)
Wingspan: 71 ft 8 in (21.85 m)
Height: 13 ft 10 in (4.22 m)
Wing area: 720 ft² (68.6 m²)
Empty weight: 6,000 lb (2,727 kg)
Loaded weight: 10,480 lb (4,764 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp 9-cylinder air-cooled radial
engines, 400 hp (298 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 104 knots (120 mph, 192 km/h)
Range: 648 nm (750 miles, 1,200 km)
Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,878 m)
Rate of climb: 750 ft/min (229 m/min)
Wing loading: 14.5 lb/ft² (69 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.08 hp/lb (0.13 kW/kg)





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