Sikorsky Flying Boats

[ajmm]

I recently finished the second of two 1/144 models of somewhat obscure Sikorsky flying boats which I thought might be of wider interest here. 

 

 

The silvery one is the XPBS-1 and the camouflaged one is the VS-44A 'Excambian'.

 

 

Both were build from the Anigrand kits and I used the absolute excellent reference book reviewed on BM here. Invaluable, even in the age of the internet (does that make me sound old?).

 

Background
These are both pretty niche but fascinating aircraft, forgive a bit of context...

 

The XPBS design emerged first from a 1935 US Navy request for a new long range patrol bomber larger than the Catalina, with better performance and more bombs and guns. Both Consolidated and Sikorsky submitted proposals, and the XPBS-1 (dubbed 'The Flying Dreadnought' seemingly by nobody other than Sikorsky's marketing department) first flew in 1937. The Navy accepted the Sikorsky aircraft, even though the contract went to Consolidated for what became the Coronado. But the Sikorsky prototype was retained by the US Navy and between 1939 and 1942 it was assigned to a Naval Transport Unit flying staff between San Diego and Hawaii. It crashed when it hit a submerged log in 1942, sank and was lost. Admiral Nimitz was lucky to escape from the wreckage with his life. It's a funny-looking thing. Quite aggressive, with that jutting jaw. As my brother said when I showed it to him - "it's like an ugly Sunderland". Apt.

 

 

From the XPBS, Sikorsky developed a civilian version, the VS-44A. Basically, when the Navy rejected the Flying Dreadnought, Sikorsky pitched it as a civilian airliner. It secured a contract from American Export Airlines (the air subsidiary of a major shipping company, American Export Lines... see what they did there. Golly branding was uncomplicated in those days). The three VS-44s were delivered to AEA after Pearl Harbour and were rapidly repainted into US Navy colours and designated, as far as the Navy was concerned, the JR2S-1, though AEA retained each aircraft's official name: Excalibur, Excambian, Exeter (also the names of AEA's flagship sea vessels). I love that that bit of the 'Golden Era' of air travel lived on amid all the drab camouflagery. The VS-44 exceeded all of its design expectations - being faster and with greater range even than the larger, more famous Boeing Clippers. During the war, Excambian - as I've built here - flew back and forth across the Atlantic and was the only aircraft in US service capable of doing so non-stop, establishing some notable records at the time for the fastest crossing. 
 

It ferried VIPs, cargo and mail, both on the main New York to Ireland route, but also from Bathurst (now Banjul, The Gambia) to the Caribbean, and around Latin America. Humphrey Bogart hitched a lift in one, as did Eleanor Roosevelt, Admiral Andrew Cunningham and General Omar Bradley, along with Dutch Queen Wilhelmina (incidentally, one of the few monarchs to reign during two world wars - quite a character). Many of the pilots for AEA were also former AVG Flying Tigers, which I didn't know. So a pretty hot airline in its day - somehow also crying out to be the setting for an Agatha Christie novel. Very 'Orient Express'.

It was helpful for the Navy to be able to contract out some of this transport duty to AEA, both to free up Navy planes to do war stuff but also because, technically operating as a private company, AEA could land in neutral ports (like Foynes, Ireland). But by 1944, this was less essential and the Navy had enough long range aircraft to operate its own air routes, so AEA's contract was cancelled in early-1945. In June 1945, AEA merged with American Overseas Airlines (what is now American Airlines) which saw little future in flying boats given the vast increase in the number of landing strips across the globe during the war. Probably quite sensibly, it put its dollars into a fleet of DC-4s. In late 1945, Excambian and Exeter were put up for sale. Postwar they were operated by a hotchpotch handful of owners before Exeter crashed gun running for South American rebels, and Excambian essentially became derelict. The sole survivor of the 'Flying Aces' as the three were known, Excambian has since been restored and is now at the Connecticut Air Museum.

 

Which I shall visit some day and bore all of the museum staff rigid.

 

Builds

Both are built from the Anigrand kits released in the last five years. Anigrand also produces a 1:72 version but 1:144 is my poison. Neither were complicated or particularly challenging, and I enjoyed both building them and learning about something new.

 

First the Flying Dreadnought

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it's younger, sleeker cousin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both builds were fairly straightforwards (though there is one flaw on the VS-44 that I failed to correct to do with the inboard nacelle shapes) but happy to answer any questions. Full build threads for both are here and here for any that are interested.

 

Hope that might be interesting or helpful for someone.

 

Thanks very much for looking!

 

Angus 

 

 

[Pete in a shed]

Beautiful models Angus and the watery bases frame the models perfectly. I thought they were much larger until I saw the match, those figures cant be much bigger than the match head! and is that a fire extinguiser I can see? Great skills.

Pete

[roginoz]

As a lover of all things "flying boat", gotta say this is a magnificent brace of models from the era when the US was girding itself for future wartime operations.

The Sikorski looks like it borrowed its nose gun turret from a B-10 bomber ! A flying boat I was only vaguely aware of.

 

Great subjects, great builds, great photography, great historical detail, GREAT !!

Rog

[Maginot]

Fantastic work. The models look great and the ramp scenes make for terrific pics.

 

Quote

does that make me sound old?

 

Yes 🤓 Just like me.

 

Quote

These are both pretty niche but fascinating aircraft, forgive a bit of context...

 

No. In fact, thanks very much for the the historical detail. As you say, these are most interesting aircraft with intriguing histories.

 

Considering that no Boeing 314 has survived, it is extra extraordinary that one of these magnificent machines can still be found in a museum.

[invidia]

They look fantastic.

[Toryu]

They are very very nice. A pleasure to look at. These sea-going planes have a special fascination.

[Fred piket]

Say what? The match stick puts it all in perspective.. 

Great job, nice planes!

[Wulfman]

Two beautiful builds, excellent modelling !

 

Wulfman

[Spitfire31]

Magnificent 'little' models in perfect settings!

 

And thank you for the interesting background write-up!

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[Vesa Jussila]

Nice planes and good story behind. Not a plane I heard before.

[ajmm]

Thank you all very much for the very kind comments! I’m glad you like them and gold star to those who read my potted history. Glad it was of interest. Thank you all!

[Lightningboy2000]

Stunning work on these lovely flying boats. Also nice to see those reference photos. Inspires me to build my old Airfix Boeing Clipper, but I desperately need some replacement props for it.

 

Yours look superb on that watery slipway & surprising to see how small they are in your build photos.

 

Martin

[Tweener]

The New England Air Museum is every bit worth the effort to go - I've been twice and I'll almost certainly be back this summer. Be sure to bring a hundred dollars or so if you do, as they have a bookstore filled with amazing reference material at as low as 10% the typical costs.

[Wlad]

Great builds. I didn't know about this plane until now, so I appreciated the backstory you included.

 

Cheers,

Wlad

[Jackson Duvalier]

Tremendous work, Angus.  Thank you for sharing the back story and the photos, I was oblivious to these and I consider myself a fan of the esoteric.

 

The seaplane ramp is a solid piece of modelling as well.

[tomthounaojam]

Thank you sharing these beautiful models here, they are truly piece of art. Cheers

[bryanm]

Brilliant - love the finish and the way you have displayed them.

[John R]

A superb job on both of them and how nice to see some Anigrand kits that bear a close resemblance to the a/c that they are supposed to represent.

John

[ajmm]

Thank you all very much for the kind comments. I really appreciate them. 
 

Those interested in the base - I cannot take credit. It’s off the shelf from Coastal Kits and among the best in their range.