Pitcairn Mailwing

American 1920s three-seat mail and utility biplane

Mailwing

PA-8 Mailwing in flight
Role  | Mail carrier and sport

Type of aircraft

National origin | United States
Manufacturer  | Pitcairn Aircraft Company
Designer  | Agnew E. Larsen
First flight  | 1927
Introduction  | 1927
Primary user  | United States Post Office Department
Number built | 106
Developed from | Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing II
PA-6 Super Mailwing NC15307 at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

The Pitcairn Mailwing family was a series of American mail carrier and three-seat sport utility biplane aircraft produced from 1927 to 1931.

## Design and development[edit]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

## Variants[edit]

Pitcairn Mailwing PA-5, at the National Air and Space Museum PA-7S Super Sport Mailwing

Data from: Aerofiles : Pitcairn[2]

* 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)

## Operators[edit]

United States

* United States Post Office Department
* Howard Hughes owned a PA-5 with a chrome plated engine.
* Felix du Pont owned a PA-5 with gold plated rocker covers.[3]
* Steve McQueen owned a PA-8

## Survivors and aircraft on display[edit]

* 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

## Specifications (PA-7M Super Mailwing)[edit]

Pitcairn PA-7 Sport Mailwing 3-view from Aero Digest April, 1930

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931,[4] Aerofiles: Pitcairn[2]

General characteristics

* Crew: 1
* Capacity: mail compartment 40 cu ft (1.1 m3) / 550 lb (250 kg) payload
* Length: 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m)
* Upper wingspan: 33 ft (10 m)
* Lower wingspan: 30 ft (9.1 m)
* Height: 9 ft 6.5 in (2.908 m)
* Wing area: 243.5 sq ft (22.62 m2)
* Airfoil: Pitcairn No.1
* Empty weight: 1,820 lb (826 kg)
* Gross weight: 3,050 lb (1,383 kg)
* Fuel capacity: 60 US gal (50 imp gal; 230 L)
* Powerplant: 1 × Wright J-6 Whirlwind 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 220 hp (160 kW)
* Propellers: 2-bladed Standard steel propeller

Performance

* Maximum speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn)
* Landing speed: 57 mph (50 kn; 92 km/h)
* Cruise speed: 112 mph (180 km/h, 97 kn) (PA-5)[2]
* Stall speed: 45 mph (72 km/h, 39 kn) (PA-5)[2]
* Range: 520 mi (840 km, 450 nmi)
* Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m) (PA-5)[2]
* Rate of climb: 1,100 ft/min (5.6 m/s) (PA-5)[2]
* Wing loading: 12.1 lb/sq ft (59 kg/m2)
* Power/mass: 13.8 lb/hp (8.4 kg/kW)

## See also[edit]

* Aviation portal
* US portal

### Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era[edit]

(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

### Related lists[edit]

* List of aircraft
* List of civil aircraft

## References[edit]

### Citations[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Juptner, Joseph P. (1963). U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol.2. Los Angeles: Aero Publishers. pp. 279–81.
2. ^ a b c d e f Eckland, K.O. "Pitcairn". aerofiles.com. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
3. ^ "Pitcairn". Retrieved 23 January 2011.
4. ^ Grey, C.G., ed. (1931). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931. London: Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd. p. 307c.

### Bibliography[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pitcairn Mailwing.

* "Pitcairn Mailwing". airminded.net. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
* "U.S. Air Mail Service – 90th Anniversary". Antiqueairfield.com. Retrieved 2008-10-20.

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Pitcairn and Autogiro Company of America aircraft

Pitcairn|

* PA-1 Fleetwing
* PA-2 Sesquiwing
* PA-3 Orowing
* PA-4 Fleetwing II
* PA-5, PA-6, PA-7, PA-8 Mailwing
* PA-11
* PA-18
* PA-19
* PA-20
* PA-21
* PA-22
* PA-24
* PA-33 (YG-2)
* PA-34 (OP-2)
* PA-36
* PA-38
* PA-39
* PA-44 (XO-61

Pitcairn-Cierva Autogiro|

* PAA-1
* PAA-2
* PCA-1
* PCA-2
* OP-1
* PCA-3

Autogiro Company of America|

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