Naval Aircraft Factory PN
The Naval Aircraft Factory PN biplane flying boats were built in 1922 for the U.S. Navy. They served as a reconnaissance aircraft and submarine combat.
Shortly before the end of the First World War began at the Naval Aircraft Factory with the replica of Felixstowe F.5 flying boats. This received new 330 -horsepower Liberty engines. The U.S. Navy referred to these as type F.5L. A total of 137 F.5L were built.
From 1922, the machines were referred to as PN -5. The machines remained until 1931 in service. After the PN -5 still followed around ten modified machines that PN -6 - P- 12, whose most famous representative was the PN -9. You should try the first non-stop flight to Hawaii.
Naval Aircraft Factory PN -9
On 1 and. May 2, 1925 presented the lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Clarence H. plate Hauer and James R. Kyle with a PM -9 on a new flight duration record for Philadelphia with 28 hours and 35 minutes. This flight was in preparation for the Hawaii flight. Two PN -9 and Boeing PB-1 should fly to Honolulu.
The start date of the three machines was set to 1 September 1925. The PB-1, however, suffered under various engine problems and had to be removed from the flight program. Were launched only the PN -9 No. 1 and PN -9 No.3 of San Francisco towards Honolulu.
The PN -9 No.3 had to cancel the flight due to engine problems after a short flight. Thus, the PN -9 No.1 under Commander John Rodgers and Lieutenant Byron Connell flew alone in the direction of Hawaii. Around 725 km off Hawaii went out of the machine out of fuel. Rogers was forced to land the plane in the Pacific.
Rogers decided to come by sailing to Hawaii. He had cut out of the wing covering the makeshift sail. However, the food and water reserves were very low. The U.S. Navy decided to one of the largest search operations in the Pacific.
Nine days remained the PN -9 in the Pacific missing. Meanwhile, Rogers was up to 16 km of the Nawiliwili Bay on the island of Kauai zoom sailed or drifted. There he discovered the submarine R- 4th Rodgers and his crew were greeted in Hawaii as a national hero. The main building of the Honolulu International Airport is called John Rodgers Terminal, for example, today. Two destroyers of the U.S. Navy have been named USS John Rodgers ( DD -574, DD -983 ).
Under license
As the production capacity of the Naval Aircraft Factory were limited, had the U.S. Navy 98 PN -12 from Douglas ( 25) Keystone ( 18) and Martin ( 55) 1927 build under license. The Hall - Aluminum Aircraft Corporation was commissioned by the Navy in 1930 designated 44 as Hall PH all-metal flying boats, which were developed from the PN -11 were. The license constructed PN -12 were flown until 1938, the Hall PH until 1944.
Variants
Military user
- Brazilian Navy
- U.S. Navy