Sikorsky S-41 Explained
The Sikorsky S-41 was an amphibious flying boat airliner produced in the United States in the early 1930s. Essentially a scaled-up monoplane version of the Sikorsky S-38 biplane flying boat, Pan Am operated the type on routes in the Caribbean, South America, and between Boston and Halifax.
Development
The S-41 had a parasol wing configuration, with two radial engines mounted on struts between the fuselage and the wing. The cabin was completely enclosed within the all-metal hull and could seat 15 passengers.[1] [2]
The United States Navy purchased three examples and designated them RS-1;[2] [3] these were joined by two Pan Am aircraft pressed into Navy service and designated RS-5.[4] [5]
Variants
- S-41A[6]
S-41B[6]
S-41C[6]
RS-1
United States Navy designation for three S-41s for evaluation.
- RS-5
Two S-41s impressed into service with the United States Navy.Operators
Accidents and incidents
- On 27 August 1931, A Sikorsky S-41, NC41V of Boston-Maine Airways crash landed in while making the run between Halifax (N.S.) and Boston (MA).[7] After clinging to the sides of a partially inflated life raft in rough seas for two hours, the 12 survivors were rescued by the F/V Nova Julia, a mackerel seiner out of Gloucester MA, captained by Capt. Leo Favaloro. There was one fatality. Seventy-year-old Edward Bamwell was assumed trapped in the wreckage as it disappeared beneath the waves just a moment after he gallantly allowed one of the three women passengers to precede him to the waiting raft. The Sikorsky had only been in service one month. Heavy fog was cited as the cause of the crash.[8] [9] The S-41 was repaired and reregistered as NC60V.[10]
- On 28 October 1931, Col Thomas C. Turner, Chief of the Aviation Section of the United States Marine Corps, flew as a passenger in a Sikorsky RS-1 to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.[11] [12] After arrival, the aircraft became stuck in the sand; when he got out to inspect it, he was struck in the head by one of its propellers.[12] [13] He died from his injuries two days later.[11] [12] [13]
References
- Notes
Bibliography
- Book: Andrade, John . U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. 1979 . Midland Counties Publications . Hinckley, Leicestershire .
- Colonel T. C. Turner of Marines is Dead . New York Times . 29 October 1931 . 21 . 2010-02-18 . (payment required to view full article)
- Elliott . John M. . Clyde W. Gillespie . MCAS Quantico . Naval Aviation News . May 1975 . 9–15 . 2010-02-18 .
- Elliott . John M. . Early Marine Corps Aviators . Naval Aviation News . May 1977 . 14–16 . 2013-12-11 .
- Book: Grossnick, Roy A. . United States Naval Aviation 1910–1995 . 1995 . Naval Historical Center . Washington, D.C. .
- Book: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . Aerospace Publishing . London . 2932 .
- Book: Munson . Kenneth . U.S. commercial aircraft . 1982 . Jane's . London . 9780710601209 . 52, 212 . registration .
- Web site: Sikorsky . Aerofiles . 29 April 2009 . 2010-02-18 .
- Book: Taylor, Michael J. H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation . 1989 . Studio Editions . London . 810 .
- Book: Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931 . Grey . C.G. . 1931 . Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd . London . 314c.
Notes and References
- Taylor 1989, p.810
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, p.2932
- Grossnick 1995, 529
- Grossnick 1995, 542
- the Navy applied the designations RS-2, RS-3, and RS-4 to other models of Sikorsky flying boats; refer to Grossnick 1995, p.530 and p.542 and Andrade 1979, p. 218.
- Aerofiles
- Web site: Logbook Magazine . 2015-05-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150729002331/http://www.logbookmag.com/databases/articles.asp?ID=91&CatID=47 . 2015-07-29 .
- 28 Aug 1931 Gloucester Daily Times
- 26 June 1999 Hartford Courant. Obituary of Alfred Esten
- United States Civil Aircraft Register http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_N32.html
- Elliott & Gillespie 1975, p.14
- Elliott 1977, p.15
- New York Times 29 October 1931, p.21
