Sikorsky S-40

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-40

The Sikorsky S-40 was an American amphibious flying boat built by Sikorsky in
the early 1930s for Pan American World Airways.

Sikorsky designed the S-40 in response to a request from Juan Trippe, president
of Pan American Airways, for a larger passenger carrying airplane. The S-40s
could carry 38 passengers, a significant increase over the S-38's capacity of
eight passengers. The aircraft featured a pantry with an electric refrigerator
and stove as well as beautifully appointed smoking lounge with book-ended
mahogany wood paneling. Six life rafts were carried on board. Despite its
significant capacity increase, the S-40s were not the most aerodynamic aircraft
due in large part to the numerous flying wires and strut braces that were used
as an exterior support framework. Only three were built as Sikorsky was
designing and building the more modern S-42 as a replacement aircraft.

A total of three aircraft were built by the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Division of
the United Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, Connecticut. The three aircraft in
the S-40 series we

NC80V – American Clipper
NC81V – Caribbean Clipper
NC752V – Southern Clipper

In 1935 a new version, the Sikorsky S-40A, was created by upgrading the original
three aircraft. Their 575 hp (429 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1860 Hornet B engines
were replaced by smaller, heavily supercharged 660 hp (490 kW) R-1690 Hornet
T2D1 engines, the landing gear was eliminated, and the maximum weight was
slightly increased.


Role
Amphibious flying boat

National origin
United States

Manufacturer
Sikorsky Aircraft

First flight
1931

Introduction
August 7, 1931

Primary user
Pan American

Number built
3

Unit cost

$125,000 in 1931

Developed into
Sikorsky S-42

Passenger carrying service was initiated on the November 19, 1931, with a S-40
piloted by Charles Lindbergh, flying from Miami, Florida to the Panama Canal
Zone with stops at Cienfuegos, Cuba; Kingston, Jamaica, and Barranquilla,
Colombia.

The S-40 was Pan American's first large flying boat. The American Clipper served
as the flagship of Pan Am's clipper fleet and this aircraft model was the first
to earn the popular designation of "Clipper" or "Pan Am Clipper". The three
S-40s served without incident during their civilian lives, flying a total of
over 10 million miles. They were turned over to the US Navy during World War II
and were used as trainers for four-engined flight instruction. All three of the
S-40s were eventually retired and scrapped starting in 1943.

Specifications (S-40)

General characteristics
Crew: 6 crew
Capacity: 38 passengers
Length: 76 ft 0 in (23.16 m)
Wingspan: 114 ft 0 in (34.75 m)
Height: 23 ft 0 in (7.01 m)
Wing area: 1,740 sq ft (162 m2)
Empty weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
Gross weight: 34,000 lb (15,422 kg)
Fuel capacity: 1,066 US gal (888 imp gal; 4,040 L)
Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney Hornet 9-cylinder radial engines, 575 hp (429
kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 117 kn; 217 km/h (135 mph)
Cruise speed: 97 kn; 180 km/h (112 mph)
Stall speed: 56 kn; 103 km/h (64 mph)
Range: 782 nmi; 1,448 km (900 mi)
Service ceiling: 13,000 ft (4,000 m)
Rate of climb: 700 ft/min (3.6 m/s)




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