In the movie "The Aviator" about the early life of Howard Hughes, Hughes lands a seaplane, taxies to the beach, and asks Kate Hepburn out on a date. Later, he takes Kate flying in the same plane. The plane is a Sikorsky seaplane, the S-38, as seen in Sikorsky's seaplane patent drawings.
The S-38 held 5 passengers, and two pilots. It had a gross weight of 10,500 lb, a 400 or a 525 hp engine, a ceiling of 16,000 ft, a cruising speed of 104 mph, with a top speed of 120 mph. More photos and information about the S-38 here.
There were only 111 of these built, and no complete airplane still
exists. Restorations include some but not all original original parts,
and reproductions have been built.
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