Sikorsky S-39

S-39
	Sikorsky S-39 of the Civil Air Patrol, 1942
Role	Flying boat
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Sikorsky Aircraft
First flight	24 December 1929
Number built	21

The Sikorsky S-39 was an American light amphibious aircraft produced by Sikorsky Aircraft during the early 1930s. The S-39 was a smaller, single-engine version of the S-38.[1]

Operational history

Spirit of Africa

Filmmakers Martin and Osa Johnson used a giraffe-patterned S-39 Spirit of Africa, with companion zebra-striped S-38 Osa's Ark, to explore Africa extensively, making safari movies and books.[2]

Military usage

The C-28

One example of the S-39 was acquired by the United States Army Air Corps in 1932, given the designation Y1C-28. It was evaluated for use in coastal patrol and light transport roles; in 1934 it was redesignated C-28 and assigned as a liaison aircraft to the United States Military Academy.[3]

Yacht

Edward A. Deeds had the yacht Lotosland designed to incorporate aircraft capability. After loss of the planned aircraft on first loading Deeds ordered an S-39-A replacement the next day. The aircraft was intended to allow Deeds to quickly travel from his yacht to business and events ashore.[4][5][6]

Variants

S-39-A: 4-seat version[7]
S-39-B: Improved 5-seat version of the S-39-A[7]
S-39-C: Converted from S-39-B[8]
C-28: One example of the S-39 acquired by the United States Army Air Corps

Surviving aircraft

Sikorsky S-39-B

904 – S-39-B on static display at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.[1]
Composite – S-39-C airworthy with at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.[9][10] It was recovered from Alaska in 1965 and incorporated parts of five S-39s. It was restored by Dick Jackson and first flew in 2003.[8][11]
920 – S-39-C under restoration with Frederick W. Patterson III of American Canyon, California. This is the last S-39 produced and was originally owned by Shell Eastern, the original name of the Shell Oil Company.[12]

Specifications (S-39A)

Data from Aerofiles : Sikorsky,[13] American flying boats and amphibious aircraft : an illustrated history[14]

General characteristics

Crew: 1 or 2
Capacity: 4 or 5 pax / 1,145–1,300 lb (519–590 kg) payload
Length: 31 ft 11 in (9.73 m)
Wingspan: 52 ft 0 in (15.85 m)
Wing area: 320 sq ft (30 m²)
Airfoil: Sikorsky GS-1 [15]
Empty weight: 2,678 lb (1,215 kg)
Gross weight: 4,000 lb (1,814 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 300 hp (220 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 115 mph (185 km/h, 100 kn)
Cruise speed: 97 mph (156 km/h, 84 kn)
Stall speed: 54 mph (87 km/h, 47 kn)
Range: 375 mi (604 km, 326 nmi)

References

"Sikorsky S-39B "Jungle Gym"". New England Air Museum. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
"Flying Expedition To Africa To Visit Forbidden Area." Popular Mechanics, April 1933.
"Sikorsky Y1C-28." National Museum of the United States Air Force, June 24, 2009. Retrieved: July 15, 2017.
"The Diesel Yacht Lotosland". MotorBoating. February 1931. pp. 90–91. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
Pacific American Steamship Association; Shipowners Association of the Pacific Coast (August 1929). "Diesel Yacht Lotosland". Pacific Marine Review. San Francisco: J.S. Hines: 29. Retrieved 23 October 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
"S38" (PDF). NEAM News. Windsor Locks, Ct.: New England Air Museum. Fall 1994. p. 4. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
"A.T.C. #375" (PDF). Golden Wings Flying Museum. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
Jackson, Dick. "40 Years and 40,000 Hours". Spirit of Igor. Richard Jackson. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
"1930 Sikorsky S-39". Fantasy of Flight. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
"FAA REGISTRY [N50V]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
Jackson, Dick. "40 Years and 40,000 Hours - Part 2". Spirit of Igor. Richard Jackson. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
"FAA REGISTRY [N58V]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
Eckland, K.O. "american airplanes: Sikorsky". aerofiles.com. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
Johnson, E.R. (2009). American flying boats and amphibious aircraft : an illustrated history. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. pp. 188–189. ISBN 978-0786439744.
Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[NEAM-1] "Sikorsky S-39B "Jungle Gym"". New England Air Museum. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

[2] "Flying Expedition To Africa To Visit Forbidden Area." Popular Mechanics, April 1933.

[3] "Sikorsky Y1C-28." National Museum of the United States Air Force, June 24, 2009. Retrieved: July 15, 2017.

[4] "The Diesel Yacht Lotosland". MotorBoating. February 1931. pp. 90–91. Retrieved 23 October 2020.

[5] Pacific American Steamship Association; Shipowners Association of the Pacific Coast (August 1929). "Diesel Yacht Lotosland". Pacific Marine Review. San Francisco: J.S. Hines: 29. Retrieved 23 October 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[6] "S38" (PDF). NEAM News. Windsor Locks, Ct.: New England Air Museum. Fall 1994. p. 4. Retrieved 23 October 2020.

[UCAS-7] "A.T.C. #375" (PDF). Golden Wings Flying Museum. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

[SoIH1-8] Jackson, Dick. "40 Years and 40,000 Hours". Spirit of Igor. Richard Jackson. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

[9] "1930 Sikorsky S-39". Fantasy of Flight. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

[10] "FAA REGISTRY [N50V]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

[11] Jackson, Dick. "40 Years and 40,000 Hours - Part 2". Spirit of Igor. Richard Jackson. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

[12] "FAA REGISTRY [N58V]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

[Sikorsky-13] Eckland, K.O. "american airplanes: Sikorsky". aerofiles.com. Retrieved 18 April 2019.

[Johnson-14] Johnson, E.R. (2009). American flying boats and amphibious aircraft : an illustrated history. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. pp. 188–189. ISBN 978-0786439744.

[Selig-15] Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Sikorsky aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft (company designations)	S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7 S-8 S-9 S-10 S-11 S-12 S-13 S-14 S-15 S-16 S-17 S-18 S-19 S-20 S-21 S-22 S-23 S-24 S-25 S-26 S-27 S-28 S-29-A S-30 S-31 S-32 S-33 S-34 S-35 S-36 S-37 S-38 S-39 S-40 S-41 S-42 S-43 VS-44 S-45
Fixed-wing aircraft (military designations)	C-6 C-28 JRS JR2S PS RS XBLR-3 XPBS XSS XV-2
Helicopters (company designations)	VS-300 (S-46) S-47 S-48 S-49 S-50 S-51 S-52 S-53 S-54 S-55 S-56 S-57 S-58 S-59 S-60 S-61 S-61L/N S-61R S-62 S-63 S-64 S-65 S-66 S-67 S-68 S-69 S-70 S-71 S-72 S-73 S-74 S-75 S-76 S-80 S-92 S-97 S-100 S-300 S-333 S-434
Helicopters (military designations)	SH-3 HH-3E/F R-4 H-5 H-6 H-18 H-19 H-34 CH-37 XH-39 HH-52A CH-53 CH-53E CH-53K MH-53 CH-54 UH-60 HH-60G HH-60J/MH-60T MH-60R/S SH-60B/F H-60J/K VH-60 RAH-66 VH-92 CH-124 CH-148 HLH
Experimental aircraft	Cypher/Cypher II Firefly Raider Raider X SB-1 X2 XBLR-3 XV-2

United States military transport aircraft designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems
Army/Air Force sequence (1925-1962)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-9 C-10 C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16 C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20 C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 C-28 C-29 C-30 C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34 C-35 C-36 C-37 C-38 C-39 C-40 C-41 A C-42 C-43 C-44 C-45 C-46 C-47 T C-48 C-49 C-50 C-51 C-52 C-53 C-54 C-55 C-56 C-57 C-58 C-59 C-60 C-61 C-62 C-63 C-64 C-65 C-66 C-67 C-68 C-69 C-70 A B C/D C-71 C-72 C-73 C-74 C-75 C-76 C-77 B-D C-78 C-79 C-80 C-81 C-82 C-83 C-84 C-85 C-86 C-87 C-88 C-89 C-90 C-91 C-92 C-93 C-94 C-95 C-96 C-97 KC-97 C-98 C-99 C-100 C-101 C-102 C-103 C-104 C-105 C-106 C-107 C-108 C-109 C-110 C-111 C-112 C-113 C-114 C-115 C-116 C-117 C-118 C-119 C-120 C-121 F C-122 C-123 A C-124 C-125 C-126 C-127 (I) C-127 (II) C-128 C-129 C-130 J C-131 C-132 C-133 C-134 C-135 KC-135 C-136 C-137 C-138¹ C-139¹ C-140 C-141 C-142
Tri-service sequence (1962-present)	C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 B C-8 C-9 C-10 (I) C-10 (II) C-11 C-12 C-13¹ C-14 C-15 C-16¹ C-17 C-18 C-19 C-20A-D F-H C-21 C-22 C-23 C-24 C-25 C-26 C-27 J C-28 C-29 C-30¹ C-31 C-32 C-33 C-34¹ C-35 C-36 C-37A B C-38 C-39¹ C-40 C-41 C-42¹ C-43¹ C-44¹ C-45 C-46
Revived original sequence (2005-present)	C-143 C-144 C-145 C-146 C-147
Non-sequential designations	C-767 C-880
Related designations	CV-2 CV-7
¹ Not assigned See also: AC-47 • AC-119 • AC-130 • DC-130 • EC-130 • HC-130 • KC-130 • LC-130 • MC-130 • WC-130 • CT-39 • CT-43