S-43 fuselage

Rocketeer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:16 pm **Posts:** 195

Does anyone know the story behind the Sikorsky S-43 forward fuselage at the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum in Anchorage, Alaska? Are there any other surviving remnants to this amphibian?

The Inspector · **Posted:** Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:05 pm

When i lived in ANC in the midd-ish 60's some guy had it on a boat trailer sitting in his side yard, or most of it from the step forward and he said he was going to convert it to a boat. No idea what, if any history it had in Alaska avaition.

Rocketeer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:16 pm **Posts:** 195

Thanks for the response. Its a shame that the only reason that one would buy an S-43 is to butcher it up into a boat. Still, it least all of it didn't get scrapped. Are there any other surviving sections of that airplane / or other S-43s in Alaska?

The Inspector · **Posted:** Sat Sep 24, 2011 6:31 pm

Aviation rule #1 in Alaska, if it don't make money, it don't stay.

Cherrybomber13 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 25, 2011 9:55 pm

It would make a perfect addition to the collection of the Connecticut Air & Space Center since the S-43 was designed, built and test flown right on our property. We will even bring it back home, somebody just say the word.

Pogmusic · **Posted:** Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:32 pm

Contact them. When I was up there this summer, several of the a/c in the storage hanger were available for sale or trade....

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:34 pm

Actually I have been. Its a work in progress that will hopefully have a great ending. I can only repeat what Drew said in that the S-43 nose section would be a HUGE addition to the collection of a real Sikorsky Flying Boat in our midst.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:00 pm

A potentially better fate than having a pair 200 horse outboards strapped on the back and downrigger sockets along the sides.
Talk with the group from the MoF who dragged the CONNIE cross country about 'bumps' in the road-

airnutz · **Posted:** Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:23 pm

Captain Texas wrote:

Are there any other surviving sections of that airplane / or other S-43s in Alaska?

Probably no surviving bits..it's been a "boat" quite awhile. A former Reeve Aleutian Airways bird, it's sister was recovered from a lake by Gary Larkins and is the JRS-1 at Pima.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:40 pm

Sorry to bump up an old thread, but I've been digging through some old '70s copies of Air Classics and looking up the fate of some of the derelicts in "Warbird Report". In the April '76 issue there are two photos of an S-43 fuselage and engine, captioned that it had crashed and sank while landing at Chignik, AK shortly after WWII. It looks like a complete fuselage from the photo; the caption says the wings were hauled up over the bank lying parallel to the beach while the fuselage was pulled 300 yards up a creek bed. Is this the same aircraft referred to in the earlier postings, and is the rest of it maybe still lying up there?

The Inspector · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:22 pm

Chris Brame wrote:

Sorry to bump up an old thread, but I've been digging through some old '70s copies of Air Classics and looking up the fate of some of the derelicts in "Warbird Report". In the April '76 issue there are two photos of an S-43 fuselage and engine, captioned that it had crashed and sank while landing at Chignik, AK shortly after WWII. It looks like a complete fuselage from the photo; the caption says the wings were hauled up over the bank lying parallel to the beach while the fuselage was pulled 300 yards up a creek bed. Is this the same aircraft referred to in the earlier postings, and is the rest of it maybe still lying up there?

Nope- that's the fuselage of a KEYSTONE-LEONING KI-84 and it's a pylon single radial sort of like stainless steel SEABIRD. It's been 'resting' behind the museum since 1965.

*If you are with the Alaska Avation Museum, your website looks like it was done by a drugged chicken, it's disorganized, sloppy, non informative to the max and completely indecipherable and the photos look like someone had their 7 year old take photos with a KODAK instamatic*

Noha307 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:05 pm

The Inspector wrote:

*If you are with the Alaska Avation Museum, your website looks like it was done by a drugged chicken, it's disorganized, sloppy, non informative to the max and completely indecipherable and the photos look like someone had their 7 year old take photos with a KODAK instamatic*

Whoa!

Yea, their website could use some work, but that's a little harsh. The way I see it, at least they are trying. Why not offer some helpful advice instead of ranting?

On a more constructive note, does anyone know if the museum has plans for their PBY?

bilwor · **Posted:** Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:15 pm

Chris Brame wrote:

Sorry to bump up an old thread, but I've been digging through some old '70s copies of Air Classics and looking up the fate of some of the derelicts in "Warbird Report". In the April '76 issue there are two photos of an S-43 fuselage and engine, captioned that it had crashed and sank while landing at Chignik, AK shortly after WWII. It looks like a complete fuselage from the photo; the caption says the wings were hauled up over the bank lying parallel to the beach while the fuselage was pulled 300 yards up a creek bed. Is this the same aircraft referred to in the earlier postings, and is the rest of it maybe still lying up there?

That sounds like the history of the S-43 at PASM.

bill word

Pogo · **Posted:** Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:34 pm

Noha307 wrote:

The Inspector wrote:

Why not offer some helpful advice instead of ranting?

No, no, no ........ mustn't discourage The Inspector from ranting. Quality rants are always a joy, and few have the training, experience, skill, and just plain talent for it as he. I mean seriously, how many times have you heard of a web site so poorly put together that it must've been designed by a drugged chicken??? Admit it - never. I rest my case.

:axe:

The Inspector · **Posted:** Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:18 pm

Pogo wrote:

Noha307 wrote:

The Inspector wrote:

Why not offer some helpful advice instead of ranting?

No, no, no ........ mustn't discourage The Inspector from ranting. Quality rants are always a joy, and few have the training, experience, skill, and just plain talent for it as he. I mean seriously, how many times have you heard of a web site so poorly put together that it must've been designed by a drugged chicken??? Admit it - never. I rest my case.

:axe:

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S-43 fuselage

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