Plane for Hollow Earth Expedition: Sikorsky S-38 (Revised)

Sikorsky S-38 Air Yacht

This flying boat was premiered in 1928 and became known as the “Explorer’s Air Yacht” for it’s reliability and ability to go just about anywhere. It was a popular plane with Pan Am, which had Charles Lindbergh in an S-38 for his exploration of South America, but also with the Johnson Wax family (one was called The Spirit of Caruba) — Martin Johnson and his wife Ona used one to fly about the world doing wildlife and ethnographic films; and Howard Hughes was going to use one for an aerial circumnavigation of the globe.

The flying boat features the same boat hull fuselage suspended by trellising from the wing and tail structure of the S-34 and S-36, but can carry ten passengers (twelve for the S-38C), and has stronger Pratt & Witney R-1340 Wasp engines turning out 400hp each. It can carry about 4500 pounds of passengers/cargo.

SIKORSKY S-38B Size: 4 Def: 4 Str: 10 Speed: 125 Ceiling: 16,000′ Rng: 860 mi. Hand: 0 Crew: 2 Pass: 10 (12 for the S-38C) Cost: $30,000 (when new), ~$12,000 in 1936)