Top speed 206 km/h Length 6.9 m Engine type Radial engine Designer Agnew E. Larsen | Wingspan 10 m Unit cost 8,000–12,500 USD Manufacturer Pitcairn Aircraft Company | |
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Pitcairn mailwing landing 7 1 2015
The Pitcairn Mailwing family was a series of mail carrier and sport aircraft produced in the U.S. from 1927 to 1931.
Contents
- Pitcairn mailwing landing 7 1 2015
- Pitcairn mailwing taxi 7 1 2015
- Design and development
- Variants
- Operators
- Specifications PA 5 Mailwing
- References
Pitcairn mailwing taxi 7 1 2015
Design and development
The Pitcairn Mailwings were developed by Pitcairn to carry air mail for the U.S. Postal Service. Of simple and robust construction, they also had relatively benign flying characteristics.
They were constructed using chrome-moly steel tube and square-section spruce spars with spruce and plywood built-up ribs. The fuselage was faired using wooden formers and covered with fabric. The tail sections were built up from steel tube and fabric-covered. The Pitcairn Mailwing had a ground-adjustable fin and in-flight adjustable tailplane, features not often seen in other aircraft.
The undercarriage was of outrigger type with Oleo-Spring shock absorbers and disc brakes on the mainwheels. All models looked very similar; changes were minor, with several fuselage extensions being the most obvious.
The mail was carried in a fireproof metal-lined compartment forward of the pilot's cockpit. The Mailwings were flown extensively by the U.S. Air Mail service from 1927 until the end of dedicated Air-Mail routes.
Pitcairn also built the same aircraft in sport versions for private use. These aircraft had the mail compartment removed, and a side-by-side two-seat cockpit was fitted.
Variants
Operators
Specifications (PA-5 Mailwing)
General characteristics
Performance