Sikorsky S-43
Illustrative image; it may differ from the actual aircraft.The Sikorsky S-43, known in airline service as the Baby Clipper, was a twin-engined, high-wing amphibious flying boat that Sikorsky developed in the United States as a scaled-down S-42 Clipper. It first flew in 1935 and carried 18 to 25 passengers; in April 1936 an S-43 with Igor Sikorsky aboard set an altitude record for amphibians. Inter-Island Airways of Hawaii was the launch customer and Pan American flew it across the Caribbean and Latin America, as did Panair do Brasil, KLM and, in Africa, Aéromaritime, while the US Army and Navy used it as a transport. About 53 were built up to 1939. Survivors include the Smithsonian's JRS-1, an example at the Pima Air & Space Museum and Howard Hughes's aircraft, the last S-43 to fly.
Specifications
Figures for the S-43 variant, the most representative of the family
The type first flew in 1935 (91 years ago) · About 53 units built · Production ended in 1939
Figures for the type, not for this particular aircraft: each variant and each configuration changes something. They are shown in both systems used in aviation.
The story of the type
Design and development
The S-43 first flew in 1935, and was a smaller version of the Sikorsky S-42 "Clipper". It accommodated between 18 and 25 passengers, with a separate forward cockpit for the two crew. The S-43 was known as the "Baby Clipper" in airline service.
On April 14, 1936, an S-43 with a 500 kg (1,100 lb) payload, piloted by Boris Sergievsky, set an altitude record for amphibious aircraft when it reached an altitude of 27,950 ft (8,520 m) over Stamford, Connecticut, with designer Igor Sikorsky aboard.
Approximately 53 S-43s were built, including examples of the twin-tailed S-43B.
Operational history
The S-43 was used primarily by Pan American World Airways for flights to Cuba and within Latin America. Inter-Island Airways of Hawaii (Inter-Island changed its name to Hawaiian Airlines in 1941) was the launch customer for the S-43. Inter-Island operated four S-43's to ferry Pan Am Clipper passengers and local residents from Honolulu throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Inter-Island sold its only twin-tail version to KLM. One aircraft was purchased by Norwegian airline Det Norske Luftfartselskap. Panair do Brasil operated seven aircraft. Five S-43s were used between 1937 and 1945 by the French company Aéromaritime on a colonial airway between Dakar (Senegal) and Pointe-Noire (Congo). Reeve Aleutian Airways owned two S-43s during the 1950s, one operational (N53294 purchased 1948 and trade for G-21 in 1957) and one for spares (fuselage at Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum). Another S-43 was operated in Alaska with an unknown operator, wrecked at Chignik, AK, 1950s.
The U.S. Army Air Corps acquired five aircraft in 1937 under the designation OA-8 for transport of freight and passengers. The U.S. Navy purchased 17 aircraft between 1937 and 1939 as the JRS-1, two of which served with the U.S. Marine Corps. One JRS survived by the end of 1941.
The Chilean Air Force (FACH) (formerly known as Fuerza Aérea Nacional (FAN)) in 1936 bought 2 S-43: No. 1 named "Magallanes" and the No.2 named "Chiloé", because that aircraft was going to use in the Línea Aérea Experimental Puerto Montt-Magallanes (Experimental Air Line from Puerto Montt to Magallanes) flying through the Patagonian fjords.
Two aircraft went to private owners: William Kissam Vanderbilt II and Howard Hughes.
Surviving aircraft
Hughes' S-43 N440 was the last example to fly. It is now owned by Kermit Weeks, and was at the Fantasy of Flight Museum restoration facility, in Polk City, Florida, awaiting reassembly and restoration to flight.
A Sikorsky JRS-1 is displayed at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, in an unrestored state. This aircraft was on duty at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. It was acquired by the Smithsonian in 1960 and spent 51 years in storage before being placed on display in 2011. As of late 2026 the Smithsonian has begun a multi-year restoration process on the aircraft which is tentatively expected to go back on display around 2028.
A Pan Am S-43 (NC16934) is displayed at the Pima Air & Space Museum.
It has been painted in the U. S. Marine Corps markings of VMJ-2 out of deference to its owner, The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA
Variants
The basic commercial amphibian, nicknamed the Baby Clipper, with two Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines and a single fin. Twenty-two were built for operators such as Pan American and Inter-Island Airways.
A variant with minor changes; one built.
The twin-finned version; three built.
A one-off built for Howard Hughes with Wright Cyclone engines. Registered N440, it was the last S-43 to fly and is now owned by Kermit Weeks, awaiting restoration in Florida.
Powered by 760 hp Wright Cyclones and with a slightly longer fuselage. The S-43WB dispensed with the amphibious landing gear, making it a pure flying boat.
Five transports bought by the US Army Air Corps in 1937; a civil S-43 impressed in September 1941 became the OA-11.
Seventeen utility transports bought by the US Navy between 1937 and 1939, two of which served with the Marine Corps. The sole survivor, now at the Smithsonian, was at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
Overview and history adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · technical figures from the manufacturer’s published specifications and standard aviation references
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This page was last updated on October 11, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 11). Sikorsky S-43. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/s43
MLA
“Sikorsky S-43.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 11 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/model/s43. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Sikorsky S-43.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 11, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/s43.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Sikorsky S-43. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/s43 (Accessed: 17 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_model_s43,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Sikorsky S-43}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-11},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/s43},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/s43}},
urldate = {2026-10-17},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/model/s43 |title=Sikorsky S-43 |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-11 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}