Before Sikorsky became a world-renowned helicopter manufacturer, Sikorsky supplied several models of fixed-wing aircraft to the US military and civilian markets. A pre-WWII product was the "S-43" airship/amphibious boat, which appeared in the mid-1930s. 53 examples compete with most of the stock acquired by Pan Am World Airways to serve passenger routes between the US, the Caribbean and Central America.
During its service, the plane was known as the "Baby Clipper".
The aircraft relies heavily on proven airship qualities such as high wings, boat-like fuselage and deep fuselage. The high-wing arrangement mounts the twin air-cooled radial piston engines above the waterline to protect them from salt spray.
The boat-like hull is necessary for landing and take-off on water, for this, outboard pontoons ensure that the aircraft does not capsize at sea. The S-43 also became a true "amphibian", with wheeled retractable landing gear also being part of its basic design, allowing operation from conventional airstrips. In addition to the standard two crew members, the cabin provides relative comfort for up to 25 people. A conventional spoiler is shown, with a single vertical spoiler and a low-set horizontal plane.
However, the "S-43B" variant introduced a double-fin appearance.
In addition to serving in and around Latin America, the S-43 was used as an interisland aircraft over Hawaii, and was one of the types that appeared when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Some operate in Alaska and parts of South America, and American aviation pioneer Howard Hughes thought enough of the genre to buy one for his collection.
In 1937, the U.S. Army adopted at least 5 models of this type "OA-8", and the US Navy used about 17 models of this type from 1937 onwards, designated "JRS-1" (a pair in this inventory also for the time used by the U.S. Marine Corps).
The S-43 remained in service until the late 1940s when it was mostly abandoned in search of a better replacement, or lost in an accident and not recovered.
When completed, the S-43 design was powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1690-52 series radial piston engines, each rated at 750 hp. Top speed is 190 mph and range is up to 775 miles. It has a service ceiling of 20,700 feet.
On April 14, 1936, an S-43 with 1,100 pounds of cargo reached 27,950 feet above Stamford, Connecticut, setting an altitude record for an airship/amphibian.
- Naval/Navigation
- Traffic
- Commercial Market
- Search and Rescue (SAR)
- Reconnaissance (RECCE)
51.18 ft (15.6 m)
26.21m
17.65 ft (5.38 m)
12,754 lb (5,785 kg)
8,660 kg
190 mph (306 km/h; 165 knots)
20,702 ft (6,310 m; 3.92 mi)
775 miles (1,247 km; 673 nautical miles)
Usually not.
S-43 - Sikorsky Enterprise Model; Original Production Model.
S-43B - Twin tail design
OA-8 - U.S. Army Air Corps designation; five aircraft purchased.
JRS-1 US Navy/USMC designation; 17 aircraft purchased; 2 examples for USMC.
"Baby Clipper" - Nickname