| Aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Registration / Serial: | PK-AFT |
| Alternate Registration: | XPK-AFT |
| Aircraft Original Type: | Sikorsky S-43 |
| Aircraft Generic Type: | Sikorsky S-43 (JRS) |
| Aircraft Version: | Sikorsky S-43W |
| C/n (msn): | 4352 |
| Operator Titles: | KNILM - Royal Netherlands Indies Airways |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| City / Airport: | New York - Floyd Bennett Field (closed)Map |
| Region / Country: | New York, United States |
| Airport Codes: | ICAO: - IATA: - Local: NOP Other: - |
| Photo Date: | 2 December 1940 |
| Photo from: | AirHistory.net Photo Archive |
| Photo ID: | 421423 |
| Photo Comment |
|---|
|
In 1940 the Netherlands East Indies airline KNILM opened a Java - Netherlands New Guinea route, via Celebes (Sulawesi) and the Moluccas. Two Grumman G-21A Goose amphibians soon turned out to be too small and two S-43s were ordered of a twin-tailfin variant. A third example was acquired from Hawaiian Airlines. Note the NEI reg with X prefix, which was required by US authorities for pre-delivery test flights. One year later on 26 December 1941, PK-AFT was lost to strafing Zero fighters at Lake Tondano, Sulawesi while apparently operating in support of a Dornier Do 24 unit of the Dutch navy. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution This photo was added on 16 December 2021, and has since been viewed 636 times. |