The Sikorsky S-38 was an American twin-engined 8-seat amphibious aircraft. It was sometimes called "The Explorer's Air Yacht" and was Sikorsky's first widely produced amphibious flying boat which in addition to serving successfully for Pan American Airways and the U.S. Army, also had numerous private owners. A total of 101 aircraft were built (Variants: S-38A 11 Built; S-38B 10 place model, 80 Built; S-38C 12 place model, 10 Built) , manufactured originally by the Sikorsky Manufacturing Corporation of Long Island, New York, and by the Sikorsky Aviation Corporation in Bridgeport, Connecticut. One of the two remaining S-38s, N-28V, appears in the movie The Aviator (2004), a story loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes. Hughes owned an S-38 during his lifetime. N28V is not a real survivor but rather a reproduction, built in the early 2000s. As of September 2010 N-28V bears the Osa's Ark paint scheme.
Specs:
Crew: 2
Wingspan: 72 ft 6 in.
Length: 40 ft 3 in.
Passengers: 6 maximum
Gross Weight: 10,480 lbs
Engines: Two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp (985) Radials
Cruising Speed: 110 mph
16,000 ft
750 nm
