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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Sikorsky S-43
    Latest Model:OA-11
    Last Military Serial:42-0001 USAAF
    Construction Number:4327
    Last Civil Registration:N440
    Compressed ID:Sikorsky OA-11 sn 42-0001 USAAF cn...
    Latest Owner or Location:Fantasy of Flight / Kermit A. Weeks, Polk City, Florida

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    Dates

    Event

    1937

    Constructed as a S-43H.

    1937

    To Howard Hughes with new c/r N440.

    1937


    Photographer: Unknown, possibly Sikorsky

    1937

    Howard Hughes had extra fuel tanks installed in the aft cabin, intending to use the plane for an around-the-world flight.

    July 1941

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 42-0001.
    Aircraft was impressed from Hughes, for use as a personnel transport, with aft cabin tanks removed.

    July 1941

    Redesignated as OA-11.

    Circa April 1943

    The USAAF allowed Hughes to use the aircraft for training to fly the H-2 Hercules. The plane was used for various tests and take-off and landing practice.

    Circa 1943


    Photographer: Howard Hughes Collection

    17 May 1943

    Crashed.
    Hughes crashed the plane into Lake Mead, killing CAA inspector Ceco Cline and Hughes employee Richard Felt.

    Circa May 1943


    Photographer: Howard Hughes Collection

    Circa May 1943


    Photographer: Howard Hughes Collection

    1943

    To Howard Hughes with new c/r N440.

    Circa June 1943

    Hughes paid $100,000 to have the aircraft recovered from the lake, and another $500,000 restoring it to luxury configuration.

    October 1990


    Photographer: Jacqueline Fischer
    Notes: Houston, TX

    14 March 1991

    To R F Van Kregten Ent Inc, Scotts Valley, CA with new c/r N440.

    12 April 1993

    Certificate of airworthiness for N440 (S-43H, 4327) issued.

    October 1995


    Photographer: Mark Kennedy
    Notes: Sikorsky S-43 N440 at Wings Over Houston Airshow, Oct. 1995

    October 1995


    Photographer: Mark Kennedy
    Notes: Sikorsky S-43 N440 landing at Wings Over Houston Airshow, Oct. 1995

    October 1996


    Photographer: Mark Kennedy
    Notes: Sikorsky S-43 at Wings Over Houston Airshow, Ellington Field, Houston, Tx. Oct 1996.

    1 January 2012

    Certificate of airworthiness for N440 (S-43H, 4327) issued.

    28 December 2012

    To Kermit A. Weeks, Polk City, FL keeping c/r N440.

    Based at Fantasy of Flight/Kermit A. Weeks, Polk City, FL.
    View the Location Dossier
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Internet Sources
     Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America
    Wikipedia
    Individual Contributors
     Glenn Chatfield
    Mike Henniger
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