https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-42
The Sikorsky S-42 was a commercial flying boat designed and built by Sikorsky
Aircraft to meet requirements for long-range flying boat laid out by Pan
American World Airways (Pan Am) in 1931. The innovative design included wing
flaps, variable-pitch propellers, and a tail-carrying full-length hull. The
prototype first flew on 29 March 1934, and, in the period of development and
test flying that followed, quickly established ten world records for
payload-to-height. The "Flying Clipper" and the "Pan Am Clipper" were other
names for the S-42.
During the inaugural flight of Sikorski's previous flying boat, the S-40, on
November 19, 1931, the pilot and Pan American Airways consultant, Charles
Lindbergh, who considered the S-40 a monstrosity, engaged designer Igor Sikorsky
in a conversation about what he thought the next airplane should look like. The
conversation continued that night at the hotel in Jamaica. Sikorsky argued that
design development should be incremental and that the safe approach would be a
larger S-40. Lindbergh argued that a sleeker design, with a range in still air
of 2,500 miles, was needed.
The new Sikorsky design, the S-42, had major aerodynamic improvements over the
S-40. Igor Sikorsky said, "in its very outline the S-42 represents simplicity.
Diverting sharply from the past Sikorsky designs, external bracings have been
reduced to a minimum. The tail, instead of being supported by outriggers, is
attached directly to the hull." The S-42 had a high wing loading which required
flaps to provide acceptable take-off and landing speeds.[1][4] Though Lindbergh
approved of the S-42, it fell far short of his proposed range[1] Stripped of all
accommodations, with extra fuel tanks in the fuselage, the S-42 was just able to
fly proving flights across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Pan Am would have to
wait for the Martin M-130 to have an airliner capable of flying the Pacific with
a paying load.
Pan Am's S-42s were used primarily on the Miami - Rio de Janeiro route. In 1937
S-42s also operated a New York to Bermuda service. 1940 saw S-42 flights between
Seattle and Alaska. An S-42s was also used between Manila and Hong Kong.
Role
Flying boat airliner
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Sikorsky Aircraft
Designer
Igor Sikorsky
First flight
March 29, 1934 (prototype)
Introduction
1934
Status
Retired, none remaining
Primary user
Pan American Airways
Number built
10
Developed from
Sikorsky S-40
Flying for Pan American Airways, a total of 10 S-42s were built, manufactured by
the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Division of the United Aircraft Corporation in
Stratford, Connecticut. The prototype first flew on March 30, 1934.
The S-42 only flew for Pan American Airways. The S-42 Pan Am Clipper surveyed
the route from the US West Coast to China, making the first survey flight from
Alameda, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in April 1935. (It never flew
scheduled passengers from California to Hawaii.)
In March 1939 a Pan Am S-42 was scheduled to leave Miami at 0730, stop overnight
in San Juan, Port of Spain, Belem and Recife, and arrive Rio de Janeiro at 1530
on the fifth day. (It returned to Miami, and passengers to Buenos Aires
continued on DC2/DC3s.)
In early 1942 the U.S. Navy acquired one S-42 which it used as a transport in
the Caribbean and to South America.
All Sikorsky S-42s were either scrapped or destroyed in accidents.
Specifications (S-42-A)
General characteristics
Crew: 4
Capacity: up to 37 day passengers or 14 sleeper berths
Length: 68 ft (20.73 m)
Wingspan: 118 ft 2 in (36.03 m)
Height: 17 ft 5 in (5.3 m)
Empty weight: 19,764 lb (8,984 kg)
Loaded weight: 38,000 lb (17,273 kg)
hp (492 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 188 mph (300 km/h)
Range: 1,930 miles (3,088 km)
Service ceiling: 15,704 ft (4,788 m)
Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (305 m/min)
Power/mass: 0.07 hp/lb (0.11 kW/kg)
*
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