Sikorsky S-38B (replica) "Osa-'s Ark" N28V (cn B414-20) taxiing in at Malle airfield on August 21st, 2010
The "Ark" in flight
View over the upper "deck" in flight, quite a windy situaton here...
Owner Thomas Schrade brings in the "Ark" for a landing at Malle airfield.
Why would someone call this aircraft "The Flying Yacht"? Even the handbag of Thomas' wife is zebra striped....
The Sikosky has a very typical and complicated look from behind.
The S-38 was Igor Sikorsky's first flying boat design and made its first flight in 1928. Called "The Flying Yacht" a total of 110 were produced
and used by adventure seekers and fledging airline companies. Osa’s Ark is a reproduction built from original Sikorsky plans.
Construction began in 2000 and totaled some 40,000 man-hours. The Ark’s owner Thomas Schrade flew this aircraft in the movie “The Aviator”
starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes. Thomas is acturally (summer of 2011) making a charity flight from Minnesota to Berlin, Germany,
in cooperation with The Wings of Hope, which provides support for other humanitarian organizations worldwide through the coordination
of air transport for rescue workers, supplies, and patients. The Ark crossed Labrador, South Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Faeroe Islands,
London, Brussels, Frankfurt, before arriving in Berlin. On its return leg Malle airfield’s Fly In was honoured with a visit of the marvelous machine.
Some characteristics:
Crew: 2
Wingspan:
72 ft 6 in.
Length:
40 ft 3 in.
Passengers: 6 maximum
Gross
Weight: 10,480 lbs
Engines:
Two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp (985) Radials
Cruising
Speed: 110 mph
Ceiling:
16,000 ft
Range:
750 nm
film
showing take off from Malle Airfield from inside Osa's Ark on 21/08/2011
A very interesting page on the original "Osa's Ark"
http://www.airminded.net/sikorsky1/osasark.html
Last updated 23/08/11 11:17 Daniel Brackx