Sikorsky S-43 Baby Clipper

The Sikorsky S-43 was a twin-engine amphibious flying boat nicknamed the "Baby Clipper" for its resemblance to Pan American's larger Sikorsky Clippers. A high-wing monoplane with a boat hull and retractable wheeled undercarriage, it could operate from both water and land, carrying 18 to 25 passengers and a crew of two or three. First flown on June 1, 1935, it was a fast and modern design for its day, capable of nearly 190 mph. About 53 were built between 1935 and 1941, serving Pan American on Caribbean and Latin American routes as well as foreign airlines and the U.S. military, which operated it as the JRS-1 transport.

Several were aboard at Pearl Harbor. The S-43 represented Sikorsky's successful scaling-down of its big flying-boat formula into a versatile feeder and utility amphibian, and a number survived in service well after World War II.