Sikorsky S-43 of Howard Hughes
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Sikorsky S-43 of Howard Hughes
Hi all,
A couple of obscure questions for the remarkable brains on display here -
I've been making the Sword model of the Sikorsky S-43 as my 'Christmas light relief' and decided to make it as Howard Hughes' machine, N440, preserved today (I believe) in Texas.
It's been very enjoyable, but I'm intreagued. I've got pics and infr from Airliners.net and seawings.co.uk but the window arrangements sem different as well as the different engines (today) than the standard S-43; I know Hughes had 1,100hp Cyclones fitted, but does it have the same type of engine now?
The skinning was flush rivited and extra fuel, and I've spotted changes to the strakes on the nose (compared to the kit which is (inevitably) of the military variants).
Questions - anyone got any reliable info on it's current config, interior layout (pictures?) location, status etc. There was an article by Bud Davidson in Flight Journal, (Jan/Feb 99)which I wonder if it has any good info?
And is Hughes the man with the most preserved of his own aircraft? There's at least the Spruce Goose, the H-1 Racer, this Sikorsky, and I think a couple of others. (anyone know them all?)Can anyone think of a person who has more of 'his/her' own aircraft preserved? And the fleets of Avengers in George Bush's colours in the 90s do NOT count!
Cheers
James
A couple of obscure questions for the remarkable brains on display here -
I've been making the Sword model of the Sikorsky S-43 as my 'Christmas light relief' and decided to make it as Howard Hughes' machine, N440, preserved today (I believe) in Texas.
It's been very enjoyable, but I'm intreagued. I've got pics and infr from Airliners.net and seawings.co.uk but the window arrangements sem different as well as the different engines (today) than the standard S-43; I know Hughes had 1,100hp Cyclones fitted, but does it have the same type of engine now?
The skinning was flush rivited and extra fuel, and I've spotted changes to the strakes on the nose (compared to the kit which is (inevitably) of the military variants).
Questions - anyone got any reliable info on it's current config, interior layout (pictures?) location, status etc. There was an article by Bud Davidson in Flight Journal, (Jan/Feb 99)which I wonder if it has any good info?
And is Hughes the man with the most preserved of his own aircraft? There's at least the Spruce Goose, the H-1 Racer, this Sikorsky, and I think a couple of others. (anyone know them all?)Can anyone think of a person who has more of 'his/her' own aircraft preserved? And the fleets of Avengers in George Bush's colours in the 90s do NOT count!
Cheers
James
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Another remarkable (to me) item is that the S-38 and S-39 used by Martin and Osa Johnson in Africa in the 1930s
http://www.airminded.net/sikorsky1/s38.html
http://www.airminded.net/sikorsky1/s39.html
have essentially been recreated as replicas. Some original parts were used.
IIRC, they also use one or both of these planes on an expedition to Borneo.
Elwood ("Woody") Quesada was one of their pilots in Africa. He was later first head of the US FAA.
http://www.af.mil/bios/bio_6575.shtml
http://www.airminded.net/sikorsky1/s38.html
http://www.airminded.net/sikorsky1/s39.html
have essentially been recreated as replicas. Some original parts were used.
IIRC, they also use one or both of these planes on an expedition to Borneo.
Elwood ("Woody") Quesada was one of their pilots in Africa. He was later first head of the US FAA.
http://www.af.mil/bios/bio_6575.shtml
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According to the FAA register the R-1820s are still fitted. The aircraft is active (at least it was very recently), based in California and was at last year's Wings Over Houston show.
Piccie: http://www.photohome.com/photos/airc...-s-43wh-2.html
Piccie: http://www.photohome.com/photos/airc...-s-43wh-2.html
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James:
If you're modelling N440 as it is now, there seems to be plenty of material around. If my memory of Bud Davisson's article and photos is correct, the aeroplane now differs in many ways from the way it was originally configured for Hughes's planned world flight, but may well be representative of how it looked after he converted it for his personal use and as a development aircraft for the 'Spruce Goose'. In world flight guise (then NR-440, with a hyphen) the window configuration on the S-43-WH was very different from that of the standard airline S-43-W. Many cabin windows not present, presumably because long-range tanks were installed in the cabin.
If you're modelling N440 as it is now, there seems to be plenty of material around. If my memory of Bud Davisson's article and photos is correct, the aeroplane now differs in many ways from the way it was originally configured for Hughes's planned world flight, but may well be representative of how it looked after he converted it for his personal use and as a development aircraft for the 'Spruce Goose'. In world flight guise (then NR-440, with a hyphen) the window configuration on the S-43-WH was very different from that of the standard airline S-43-W. Many cabin windows not present, presumably because long-range tanks were installed in the cabin.
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Many thanks for the input chaps, knew you'd be there Aerohack! ;-)
The port windows foward of the wheel-well are missing, and that was the stewards' position on the airline machines, and a possible spot for some extra tankage. I got very thrown over potential changes of window layout, until I realised one of the pics on seawings was reversed (spotted by the wife - curses!) and the pic linked to by PaperTiger alsh had me fooled as the display boards could be covering the ports - but weren't!
Part of the joys of modelling is you end up looking a LOT harder at the subject.
Talking of which, anyone ablew to tell me what the text on the r/h and l/h side of the nose says? The bigger bits I've got let me see the larger lettering, but not the smaller. And it was meant to be a quick project! (The kits great btw if anyone's interested.)
seacue's reference to the other older Sikorskys is quite right, and they too make amazing subjects. A model mag I work for (no advert - pm me for details!) got an article from the recreation's pilot - he said it was a great waterbird, slow, and did he mention it was slow? Heh.
Any more bids on Hughes owned a/c? RD right IIRC, and I'm sure there's others. With the Spruce Goose, I guess he's a hands-down winner as to volume of preserved a/c!
Cheers
James
The port windows foward of the wheel-well are missing, and that was the stewards' position on the airline machines, and a possible spot for some extra tankage. I got very thrown over potential changes of window layout, until I realised one of the pics on seawings was reversed (spotted by the wife - curses!) and the pic linked to by PaperTiger alsh had me fooled as the display boards could be covering the ports - but weren't!
Part of the joys of modelling is you end up looking a LOT harder at the subject.
Talking of which, anyone ablew to tell me what the text on the r/h and l/h side of the nose says? The bigger bits I've got let me see the larger lettering, but not the smaller. And it was meant to be a quick project! (The kits great btw if anyone's interested.)
seacue's reference to the other older Sikorskys is quite right, and they too make amazing subjects. A model mag I work for (no advert - pm me for details!) got an article from the recreation's pilot - he said it was a great waterbird, slow, and did he mention it was slow? Heh.
Any more bids on Hughes owned a/c? RD right IIRC, and I'm sure there's others. With the Spruce Goose, I guess he's a hands-down winner as to volume of preserved a/c!
Cheers
James
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I had the pleasure of seeing both the S-38 and S-39 replicas at KYIP in the National Air Tour last September. Pity about the paint jobs though 
http://www.nationalairtour.org/pilot...ople/index.cfm
http://www.nationalairtour.org/pilot...ople/index.cfm
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James: In its proposed world flight guise NR-440 had just five windows on the port side — two forward of the gear bay, one aft of the rearmost cabane strut's position, and two roughly above the end of the hull planing section.
Hughes's round-the-world Lockheed L-14 Super Electra (it wasn't a Lodestar) is long gone. It was sold to the RAF and crashed fatally on take-off from Nairobi on 10 November 1940 on the final leg of its delivery flight to Heliopolis.
Hughes's round-the-world Lockheed L-14 Super Electra (it wasn't a Lodestar) is long gone. It was sold to the RAF and crashed fatally on take-off from Nairobi on 10 November 1940 on the final leg of its delivery flight to Heliopolis.
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Thanks for the link PaperTiger.
I quite like the schemes myself (they are original...) and I do like the listing that some of the other a/c on the tour "will be flown by rotating pilots". Oooo. I feel airsick already.
I quite like the schemes myself (they are original...) and I do like the listing that some of the other a/c on the tour "will be flown by rotating pilots". Oooo. I feel airsick already.
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Aerohack - I wasn't actually thinking about the '14' - I was exploring the posibilities that the Tool Co operated a Lodestar/Howard postwar . Still it's a good excuse to pick up '
Lockheed Twins' !
Lockheed Twins' !
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James: Now that I've bothered to slide my chair about three feet from where I was sitting, I've discovered that I have photos of both sides of NR-440 as originally configured, and there were just five windows on each side, the others reportedly 'faired over', though from the pictures I don't think they were ever there. Following its crash at Lake Mead, Nevada in 1943 while being used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hughes had it salvaged and rebuilt without the LR tanks and with standard cabin windows.
Hughes/Hughes Aircraft/Hughes Tool or nominees representing Hughes owned/operated all sorts over the years — the sole Beech A17F Staggerwing, Sikorsky S-38, Boeing Stratoliner (converted by a subsequent owner into a houseboat), five Douglas B-23 Dragons, at least two A-20 Havocs, of which Hughes's personal aircraft still exists, three Short Solents, a Consolidated PB2Y Coronado, and more prosaically in later years a JetStar. I think the Learjet in which he died was a chartered aircraft.
Hughes/Hughes Aircraft/Hughes Tool or nominees representing Hughes owned/operated all sorts over the years — the sole Beech A17F Staggerwing, Sikorsky S-38, Boeing Stratoliner (converted by a subsequent owner into a houseboat), five Douglas B-23 Dragons, at least two A-20 Havocs, of which Hughes's personal aircraft still exists, three Short Solents, a Consolidated PB2Y Coronado, and more prosaically in later years a JetStar. I think the Learjet in which he died was a chartered aircraft.
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I believe they also operated Skywarriors out of Van Nuys for research duties - subsequently these were taken up by other corporations.
The aircraft at Lancaster were :
Douglas A-20G N34920
NA Mitchell B-25D N3968C
also found to be operated by them was Douglas A-26 Invader
N6839D. At least one of his Dragon's is still alive.
The aircraft at Lancaster were :
Douglas A-20G N34920
NA Mitchell B-25D N3968C
also found to be operated by them was Douglas A-26 Invader
N6839D. At least one of his Dragon's is still alive.
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Thanks again chaps. Aerohack - any chance of copies of that info? As you'll guess a write up for MMP is planed!
Was the Lockheed seen at Coventry airshow in 2000 a Hughes exec conversion, or an actual 'as used by Hughes' a/c?
Was the Lockheed seen at Coventry airshow in 2000 a Hughes exec conversion, or an actual 'as used by Hughes' a/c?
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James:
I'll photocopy and mail you the stuff I have on the Hughes S-43.
As RileyDove says, the 'Howard' in Howard 500 is Dee Howard, no connection with Hughes. Along with Bill Lear and Ed Swearingen, Dee Howard developed executive conversions of Lodestars and — in Howard's case — Venturas and one or two Harpoons. The pressurised, 350 mph Howard 500 like Duncan Baker's UK-based example was perhaps the pinnacle of piston-powered business transports, eclipsed by the arrival of the turboprop Gulfstream I. Some sources claim that the 500 was an entirely new-build aircraft with no Ventura components, and Dee Howard personally told me that this was so, but others dispute this.
I'll photocopy and mail you the stuff I have on the Hughes S-43.
As RileyDove says, the 'Howard' in Howard 500 is Dee Howard, no connection with Hughes. Along with Bill Lear and Ed Swearingen, Dee Howard developed executive conversions of Lodestars and — in Howard's case — Venturas and one or two Harpoons. The pressurised, 350 mph Howard 500 like Duncan Baker's UK-based example was perhaps the pinnacle of piston-powered business transports, eclipsed by the arrival of the turboprop Gulfstream I. Some sources claim that the 500 was an entirely new-build aircraft with no Ventura components, and Dee Howard personally told me that this was so, but others dispute this.
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Many thanks Aerohack,
I'm waiting at the letterbox as I write. Well, nearly!
Conc - any idea of the serial?
The Hughes a/c I'dve loved to have seen survive was the twin boom photo recon job. Classy.
Cheers
James
I'm waiting at the letterbox as I write. Well, nearly!
Conc - any idea of the serial?
The Hughes a/c I'dve loved to have seen survive was the twin boom photo recon job. Classy.
Cheers
James
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JDK
The former Howard Hughes DC-6 with Northern Air Cargo is serial number:
45372 and registered N7780B
The reconnaisance aircraft you are talking about is the Hughes XF-11. Hughes crashed and nearly died in the first prototype but at least one other was built.
I am looking foward to the new movie about Howard Hughes even though it stars Leonardo di Caprio and the Hughes H-1 replica will sadly now not be available after the tragic crash which killed the owner. Recently saw a TV serial about Hughes starring tommy Lee Jones which was excellent and feature a host of rare aircraft.
The former Howard Hughes DC-6 with Northern Air Cargo is serial number:
45372 and registered N7780B
The reconnaisance aircraft you are talking about is the Hughes XF-11. Hughes crashed and nearly died in the first prototype but at least one other was built.
I am looking foward to the new movie about Howard Hughes even though it stars Leonardo di Caprio and the Hughes H-1 replica will sadly now not be available after the tragic crash which killed the owner. Recently saw a TV serial about Hughes starring tommy Lee Jones which was excellent and feature a host of rare aircraft.