Pitcairn PA-1 Fleetwing

Pitcairn PA-1 Fleetwing
Pitcairn PA-1 Fleetwing model on display at the EAA Airventure Museum.
Role	Biplane
National origin	United States of America
Manufacturer	Pitcairn Aircraft Company
Designer	Agnew E. Larson
First flight	1925
Introduction	1925

The Pitcairn PA-1 Fleetwing (Pitcairn Aviation - One) ^[1] is the first biplane designed for air racing and commercial airmail service by Pitcairn Aircraft Company.^[2]

Design

The Fleetwing biplane featured three cockpits capable carrying four revenue sightseeing passengers. The fuselage used (square and round) steel tubing with fabric covering. The squarish fuselage featured a slanted radiator on the front of the lower cowling^[3]

Operational history

The prototype PA-1 crashed after a flight with the control cables rigged backwards. A second aircraft was built shortly afterward.^[4][5][6]

Specifications (Pitcairn PA-1 Fleetwing)

Pitcairn PA-1 Fleetwing 3-view drawing from L'Air June 15,1926

Data from Aerofiles

General characteristics

• Capacity: 5
• Length: 25 ft 11 in (7.90 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft (12 m)
• Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss C-6 , 160 hp (120 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 96 kn (110 mph, 180 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 81 kn (93 mph, 150 km/h)
• Stall speed: 39 kn (45 mph, 72 km/h)

References

1. American Aviation Historical Society. AAHS journal, Volume 31.
2. Frank Kingston Smith. Legacy of wings: the story of Harold F. Pitcairn.
3. "Pitcairn". Retrieved 1 February 2011.
4. Robert J. Serling. From the captain to the colonel: an informal history of Eastern Airlines.
5. Jack Cox (November 1991). "Harold Armstrongs Pitcairn Fleetwing". Sport Aviation.
6. Smith, Frank (1981). Legacy of Wings; The Harold F. Pitcairn Story. New York: Jason Aronson, Inc. p. 62-71. ISBN 0876684851.