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Savoia-Marchetti S-56 Amphibian NC858W
Flying Boat Seaplane Photo 8x10 VintageStriped-Rudder Amphibian ... 1979 MDC Company Print
DESCRIPTIONThis 8x10 black and white photograph shows a single-engine biplane amphibian parked on open ground with a wet, reflective surface.NC 858W is lettered in black on the fin, the rudder carries bold horizontal stripes, and a small fixture sits on top of the fin. The radial engine hangs on struts between the wings ahead of the cabin, the propeller shows as a soft blur, and the main wheel and a streamlined float under the lower wing are close to the camera. In the background a second biplane sits on the field with three men gathered at its nose.The print has no caption, so the identification rests on the registration. FAA historical records list NC858W as a Savoia-Marchetti S-56, a three-seat, single-engine amphibian built by the American Aeronautical Corporation, last registered to William Canaday of East Greenbush, New York, with the certificate issued January 29, 1942 and cancelled July 11, 1942. No flight history, location or date for this airframe was found, and none is claimed here.The S-56 was an Italian-designed biplane flying boat that the American Aeronautical Corporation, founded in 1928 by Enea Bossi at Port Washington, Long Island, began building under license in 1929, powered by a Kinner radial engine. The New York City Police Department flew S-56 amphibians in its Air Service Division, which was established in 1929, and one reference says the department operated six. Nothing links this particular airframe to the police. The history is offered as background on the type.From the AITKEN COLLECTION. This print is a 1979 company reprint made by McDonnell Douglas (MDC) at St. Louis, not an original period print, and it is offered and priced as such. The reverse is stamped MDC ST. LOUIS, NOV 26 1979, NEGATIVES NOT FILED, and carries an owner's ink stamp for Donald and Barbara Aitken of Irvine, California. Scanned at 600dpi.Donald Aitken was a Navy-trained aviator who flew helicopters and then spent his airline career as a United Airlines captain on the 747, 727, 757, 767 and DC-10, retiring in 1996. He grew up watching planes overhead in rural North Dakota and flew radio-controlled airplanes well into his later years.Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right.Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. All shipments receive rigid, professional packaging, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITION Black and white 8x10 print on cream-toned paper. The image is sharp in the foreground with fine grain and soft focus in the distant background, and the NC 858W lettering and the rudder stripes are clear in the scans. A scattering of tiny dark dust specks shows in the sky, a few small white specks appear near the rudder, and a faint dark vertical streak runs down the ground below the bow, all visible in the scans. A narrow unprinted margin shows along the edges of the scans. No tears, creases or stains are visible in the scans. The reverse is clean cream paper with the blue MDC St. Louis stamp, the Aitken owner's stamp and a small purple handwritten mark. Please review all photos closely, as they are part of the description.
