Sikorsky S-41

S-41
A U.S. Navy RS-1 in the early 1930s
Role	Airliner
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Sikorsky
First flight	1930[1]
Primary user	Pan Am[1]
Number built	7[1]
Developed from	Sikorsky S-38[1]

The Sikorsky S-41 was an amphibious flying boat airliner produced in the United States in the early 1930s.^[1] Essentially a scaled-up monoplane version of the Sikorsky S-38 biplane flying boat,^[1] Pan Am operated the type on routes in the Caribbean, South America, and between Boston and Halifax.^[1]

Development

The S-41 had a parasol wing configuration, with two radial engines mounted on struts between the fuselage and the wing.^[1] The cabin was completely enclosed within the all-metal hull^[1] and could seat 15 passengers.^[2][3]

The United States Navy purchased three examples and designated them RS-1;^[3][4] these were joined by two Pan Am aircraft pressed into Navy service and designated RS-5.^[5][6]

Variants

S-41A^[1][7]

S-41B^[7]

S-41C^[7]

RS-1

United States Navy designation for three S-41s for evaluation.^[8]

RS-5

Two S-41s impressed into service with the United States Navy.^[8]

Operators

• Pan Am^[1]
• United States Navy^[2][3]

Accidents and incidents

On 27 August 1931, one of these vessels crash landed at sea while making the run between Halifax N.S. and Boston MA. After two hours clinging to the sides of a partially inflated life raft in rough seas, 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.^[9][10]

On 28 October 1931, Col Thomas C. Turner, Chief of the Aviation Section of the United States Marine Corps ferried a Sikorsky RS-1 to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.^[11] After arrival, he was struck by one of the aircraft's propellers^[12] and died from his injuries.^[11][12]

Specifications (S-41A)

Data from Munson 1982, p.212

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Capacity: 14 passengers
• Length: 45 ft 2 in (13.77 m)
• Wingspan: 78 ft 9 in (24.00 m)
• Height: 15 ft 3 in (4.65 m)
• Wing area: 729 ft² (67.8 m²)
• Empty weight: 8,100 lb (3,680 kg)
• Gross weight: 13,800 lb (6,270 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1860 Hornet B, 575 hp (429 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 133 mph (213 km/h)
• Range: 920 miles (1,500 km)
• Service ceiling: 13,500^[7] ft (4,120 m)

Notes

References

• Andrade, John (1979). U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Hinckley, Leicestershire: Midland Counties Publications. 
• "Colonel T. C. Turner of Marines is Dead". New York Times: 21. 29 October 1931. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20A1EF83B5D1B7A93CBAB178BD95F458385F9. Retrieved 2010-02-18.  (payment required to view full article)
• Elliott, John M.; Clyde W. Gillespie (May 1975). "MCAS Quantico". Naval Aviation News: 9–15. http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1970s/1975/may75.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
• Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). United States Naval Aviation 1910–1995. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center. 
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing. pp. 2932. 
• Munson, Kenneth (1982). U.S. Commercial Aircraft. London: Jane's Publishing. 
• "Sikorsky". Aerofiles. 29 April 2009. http://www.aerofiles.com/_sik.html. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. pp. 810. 

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