Pitcairn Mailwing

The Pitcairn Mailwings were developed to carry air mail for the United States Post Office Department. Of simple and robust construction, they had relatively benign flying characteristics.{{cite book |last=Juptner |first=Joseph P.|title=U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol.2 |publisher=Aero Publishers |location=Los Angeles |date=1963 |pages=279–81 }}

They were constructed using chrome-moly steel tube and square-section spruce spars with spruce and plywood built-up ribs. The fuselage was faired using wooden formers and covered with fabric. The tail sections were built up from steel tube and fabric-covered. The Pitcairn Mailwing had a ground-adjustable fin and in-flight adjustable tailplane.

The undercarriage was of outrigger type with Oleo-Spring shock absorbers and disc brakes on the mainwheels. All versions looked very similar and changes were minor, with several fuselage extensions being the most obvious.

The mail was carried in a fireproof metal-lined compartment forward of the pilot's cockpit. The Mailwings were flown extensively by the U.S. Air Mail service from 1927 until the end of dedicated Air-Mail routes.

Pitcairn also built the same aircraft in sport versions for private use. These aircraft had the mail compartment removed, and a side-by-side two-seat cockpit was fitted.

File:Pitcairn pa-5 mailwing National Air and Space Museum photo D Ramey Logan.jpg]]

File:PA7-S mailwing.jpg

Data from: Aerofiles : Pitcairn

• PA-5 - original production version of 1927 with Wright J-5-9 engine; ATC 18 (32 built)
• PA-5 Mailwing - mail carrier version
• PA-5 Sport Mailwing - sport version with seats for two passengers
• PA-6 - 1928 production version with Wright J-5-9 engine; ATC 2-22 (early), 92 (late) (53 built)
• PA-6 Super Mailwing - mail carrier version
• PA-6B Super Mailwing - (1 converted from PA-6)
• PA-6 Sport Mailwing - sport version with seats for two passengers
• PA-7 - 1929 production version with Wright J-6 engine; ATC 196
• PA-7A Sport Mailwing
• PA-7M Super Mailwing - mail carrier version (12 built)
• PA-7S Super Sport Mailwing (15 built)
• PA-8 - 1930 production version with Wright J-6 engine; ATC 364
• PA-8M Super Mailwing - mail carrier version (6 built)

; {{Canada}}

• Royal Canadian Air Force one PA-5 Mailwing for experimental use by Station Flight, CFB Borden{{cite web|title=Pitcairn Mailwing|url=https://caspir.warplane.com/asrc/acn/200001030/|accessdate=23 January 2024}}

; {{USA}}

• United States Post Office Department
• Howard Hughes owned a PA-5 Mailwing with a chrome plated engine.
• Felix du Pont owned a PA-5 with gold plated rocker covers.{{cite web|title=Pitcairn|url=http://www.nationalaviation.org/pitcairn-harold/|accessdate=23 January 2011}}
• Steve McQueen owned a {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20081011232506/http://www.mcqueenonline.com/1930pitcairnpa8mailwing.htm PA-8]}}

• PA-5 c/n 1 NC2895 on display at the Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC
• PA-5 c/n 9 NC3835 currently on display at the Shannon Air Museum, Fredericksburg, VA
• PA-6 c/n 48 NC548K currently on display at the Eagles Mere Air Museum, Laporte, PA
• PA-7S c/n 147 NC95W on display at the EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh, WI
• PA-7S c/n 151 NC13158
• PA-6 c/n 159 NC15307 on display at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Poughkeepsie, NY
• PA-8 c/n 164 NC10753
• PA-8 c/n 162 NC10751 on display at the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, Horsham, PA

File:Pitcairn PA-7 Sport Mailwing 3-view Aero Digest April,1930.png

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931,{{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931 |editor1-last=Grey |editor1-first=C.G. |year=1931 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd |location=London |page=307c}} Aerofiles: Pitcairn

|prime units?=imp

|crew=1

|capacity=mail compartment {{cvt|40|cuft}} / {{cvt|550|lb}} payload

|length ft=23

|length in=9

|upper span ft=33

|lower span ft=30

|height ft=9

|height in=6.5

|wing area sqft=243.5

|airfoil=Pitcairn No.1

|empty weight lb=1820

|gross weight lb=3050

|max takeoff weight lb=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity={{cvt|60|USgal|impgal l}}

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Wright J-6 Whirlwind

|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine

|eng1 hp=220

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=Standard steel propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|max speed mph=150

|max speed note=

• Landing speed: {{cvt|57|mph|kn km/h}}

|cruise speed mph=112

|cruise speed note=(PA-5){{cite web |last1=Eckland |first1=K.O. |title=Pitcairn |url=http://aerofiles.com/_pitc.html |website=aerofiles.com |accessdate=27 December 2018}}

|stall speed mph=45

|stall speed note=(PA-5)

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|range miles=520

|range note=

|ferry range km=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range nmi=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling ft=18000

|ceiling note=(PA-5)

|climb rate ftmin=1100

|climb rate note=(PA-5)

|time to altitude=

|wing loading lb/sqft=12.1

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass={{cvt|13.8|lb/hp|kg/kW}}

|more performance=

}}

{{Portal|Aviation|US}}

(Partial listing, only covers most numerous types)

• Alexander Eaglerock
• American Eagle A-101
• Brunner-Winkle Bird
• Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster
• Command-Aire 3C3
• Parks P-1
• Spartan C3
• Stearman C2 and C3
• Swallow New Swallow
• Travel Air 2000 and 4000
• Waco 10

• List of aircraft
• List of civil aircraft

{{reflist}}

{{commonscat}}

• {{cite web |title=Pitcairn Mailwing|work=airminded.net|url=http://www.airminded.net/mwing/mwing.html |accessdate=2008-10-20}}
• {{cite web |title=U.S. Air Mail Service – 90th Anniversary|work=Antiqueairfield.com |url=http://www.antiqueairfield.com/features/us_airmail.html |accessdate=2008-10-20}}

{{Pitcairn aircraft}}

Category:1920s United States mailplanes

Mailwing

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Biplanes

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1927