Sikorsky PS / S-38
Born in Kiev, Russia, on May 25, 1889, Igor (Ivan) Sikorsky developed an early interest in aviation. He became acquainted with some of the men who would become well known in the field of aviation. Against their advice, Sikorsky decided to build a helicopter. The helicopter failed, as did its successor due to a lack of power and understanding of the aerodynamics of vertical flight. Undeterred, Sikorsky turned his attention to airplanes. His first fixed-wing plane, the S-1 failed, because its 15-horsepower (11-kilowatt) engine was inadequate. His second plane, the S-2 was a success. He designed and built the world's first four-engine plane. "Le Grand," featured innovations such as an enclosed cabin, a lavatory, upholstered chairs, and an exterior catwalk atop the fuselage.
The Russian Revolution ended Sikorsky's career in Russia. He came to the United States in 1919, determined to start his own aircraft company. After World War I, the market for aircraft disappeared, so Sikorsky went to work as an engineer. He was able to attract enough funds so that in 1923 he formed the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation.
Beginning in the late 1920s, Sikorsky finally achieved commercial success with amphibians. The S-34 was Sikorsky's first amphibian (or as the oft-seen alternate spelling "amphibion"). The S-34 crash-landed at sea and sank in November 1927 after experiencing motor trouble during a test flight. The S-36, Sikorsky's first successful amphibian, was a version of -34 with various seating arrangements, powerplants (usually two 200hp Wright J-4) and specifications; spans: 56'0"-72'0" length: 34'0", the latter span for the long-range version. Five were built, including one for the US Navy as XPS-1.
The S-38 first flew on June 25, 1928. Able to accommodate 8-10 passengers comfortably, the plane had an unusual structure with connecting rods joining the wings and fuselage and thus was once described as "a collection of spare parts flying in formation." It had retractable landing gear and could land on either water or land. About 120 of the three S-38 models were built.
Sikorsky S-38
MODEL S-38
CREW 2
PASSENGERS 10
ENGINE 2 x Pratt & Whitney "Wasp", 310kW
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight 4753 kg 10479 lb
Empty weight 2970 kg 6548 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan 21.8/11.0 m 71 ft 6 in / 36 ft 1 in
Length 12.3 m 40 ft 4 in
Height 4.4 m 14 ft 5 in
Wing area 66.9 m2 720.10 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed 200 km/h 124 mph
Cruise speed 175 km/h 109 mph
Ceiling 5480 m 18000 ft
Range w/max.fuel 965 km 600 miles
PS
USN patrol, based on S-36 and S-38.
PS-1 1928 = Two 220hp Wright R-790; span: 71'0" length: 36'8" v: 1100 ceiling: 9,000'. POP: 1 as XPS-1 [A8005].
PS-2 1928 = Two 450hp P&W R-1340B: span: 71'8" length: 40'3" v: 1250 ceiling: 19,400'. POP: 2 as XPS-2 [A8089/8090].
PS-3 1929 = Two 450hp P&W R-1340C; span: 71'8" length: 40'3" v: 1240 ceiling: 14,800'. POP: 4 [A8284/8297]. Became RS-3.
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