Mystery Foto #13 Solved: Willie K’s Seaplane at Port Washington Marine Base in 1938 & Howard Hughes
Jennifer Robinson challenged you to solve these Mystery Fotos from the Beutenmuller Family Collection.
Beutenmuller Family Collection
William Beutenmuller (1915-1987) worked as a mechanic, flight mechanic and foreman of maintenance for various Long Island aviation firms including the Port Washington Marine Base, Grumman Engineering and the Sperry Gyroscope Company. He trained with Wright Aeronautical Corp, Pratt & Whitney, Allison and Sikorsky aircraft and engines. In 1957, William joined Radio Corporation of America in New Castle, Delaware working with company and military aircraft. He documented many of the airplanes that he worked on and observed and also collected photos from other seaplane and airplane enthusiasts of the period.
Jennifer Robinson, William's granddaughter, has scanned almost 500 negatives from the family collection and has graciously agreed to share them on VanderbiltCupRaces.com . Many of these historic images will be posted over the next few months with additional background on the amazing career of William Beutenmuller.
Answers to the Mystery Foto questions:
- Identify the seaplane, its model and owner
Sikorsky S-43 seaplane, NC 16925 (serial # 4314) owned by William K. Vanderbilt Jr.
- Where was the Mystery Foto taken?
The photo was taken at the Port Washington (Marine Base) at Manhasset Bay on Long Island in 1938.
- What historic events happened at this location?
A significant number of historic aviation events occurred at this location beginning in 1917. See Gary Hammond's below Comment.
- Kudos question: Identify the seaplane and famous person seen with William Beutenmuller in the below Kudos Fotos
Howard Hughes exiting 1930 Sikorsky S-39A single engine amphibian NC 807W in 1938 at Port Washington. Howard Hughes asked Bill for change to make a telephone call.
Comments (17)
Congrats to Greg O. Gary Hammond, Frank Femenias, Art Kleiner, Dick Gorman and Brian McCarthy for identifying Willie K's Sikorsky S-43 seaplane
Kudos to Karl Ludvigsen, Greg O., Gary Hammond, Frank Femenias, Bob, Roy Warner, Sam Berliner III, Dick Gorman and Brian McCarthy for identifying Howard Hughes.
Howard Kroplick
Close-Ups
The obvious key to the Mystery Foto is the airplane # NC 16925.
Other Photos of Willie K's S-43 seaplane
William K. Vanderbilt Jr. documented his 1937 South American trip in his Sikorsky S-43 amphibian plane in a limited edition book Flying Lanes.
At the 2013 Doyle Auction of the Estate of Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, I was the winning bidder for Consuelo's copy of the book signed by her father Willie K. The inscription in the book reads:
Dearest Consuelo:
I thought you might like to have this little book
affectionately
Father
Howard Hughes & Sikorsky S-39 (1930)
Identify the famous person to the right of William Beutenmuller (far left): Howard Hughes at Port Washington.
Hughes was exiting a 1930 Sikorsky S-39A single engine amphibian NC 807W in 1938.
A Google search of the S-39A seaplane NC 807W found this photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt on this website!
Additional Photos of Howard Hughes at Post Washington Marine Base in the William Beutenmuller Collection
Sikorsky S-39 (1930)
Reference Book: American Flying Boats and Amphibious Aircraft by E.R. Johnson
Sikorsky S-39B NC-888W Courtesy of the William Beutenmuller Collection
William Beutenmuller in 1938
William Beutenmuller photo bombing an unknown group.
Can anyone identify the people in this photo?
Comments
Pan Am Sikorsky S-43
Looks to me like Howard Hughes…
-Identify the seaplane, its model and owner
Willie K’s Sikorsky S-43 NC-16925, serial number 4314 that he took possession of in 1934.
-Where was the Mystery Foto taken?
-What historic events happened at this location?
Without being able to confirm with certainty after a few hours of looking, I’ll guess this was the Port Washington marine base/terminal sometime around 1937/38. Pan Am made history here not only by it’s founding, but the first passenger trans-Atlantic flights originated from here.
-Kudos question: Identify the seaplane and famous person seen with William Beutenmuller in the below Kudos Fotos
Looks like Howard Hughes walking away from a Sikorsky S-39 flying boat.
No idea about the seaplane or the people. The place must be the marine base at Port Washington, where Pan Am launched its “flying boats” for trans-Atlantic flights. The first scheduled trans-Atlantic mail delivery by Pan Am was the Yankee Clipper to Portugal, via the Azores, in May, 1939. I found a few pictures online that look like the building in the Mystery Foto. Pan Am later shifted its operations to the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia.
1. Identify the seaplane, its model and owner:
As I had previously submitted in the VCR Blog of 6/9/2018:
According to: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/dayton-wright-airplane-company/
“William K. Vanderbilt II’s Sikorsky S-43 amphibian, NC-16925, serial number 4314. This airplane was impressed by the U.S. Army Air Corps 14 September 1941 and designated OA-11, 42-001. It was destroyed in a crash landing at Corcorite Bay, Trinidad, 5 November 1941. All five persons on board were killed.”
I then checked: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1.html
for the aircraft serial number and confirmed the above:
S/N 42-1 Sikorsky OA-11 MSN 4314. Civilian S-43 purchased by USAAF Sep 14, 1941. Was originally NC16925.
W/o after crash landing in Cocorite Bay, Trinidad Nov 5, 1941. All 5 aboard killed.
2. Where was the Mystery Foto taken?
I think it’s the Port Washington Seaplane Base on Manhasset Isle (Manorhaven).
3. What historic events happened at this location?
If it is Port Washington, it was the site of many aviation firsts (see Bill Kaiser’s The Development of the Aerospace Industry on Long Island, Vol. III – A Chronology, Hofstra, 1968). Here’s a sampling:
• On Sept. 19, 1917, a hydroaeroplane altitude record was established in a Wright-Martin plane at Port Washington.
• By 1920 Curtiss built aircraft were flying out of Port Washington.
• On August 16, 1921,a Loening monoplane Flying Yacht, carrying 4 passengers, established an altitude record for hydroaeroplanes of 19,500 feet.
• In 1929, the American Aeronautical Corporation was formed in Port to manufacture Savoia-Marchetti flying boats.
• In 1930, Capt. Frank M. Hawks piloted the 1st glider released from a seaplane at Port.
• In 1932, the 12 engine Dornier DO-X flying boat took off for its return trip to Europe and aboard was the second women to fly the Atlantic, Antonie Strassman.
• On June 16, 1937, regular N.Y. to Bermuda service was established by the arrival of the Imperial Airways flying boat Cavalier, carrying 14 passengers. Pan American would make its initial flight to Bermuda with the Sikorsky S-42 Bermuda Clipper.
• During 1938 numerous catapult seaplanes made trips between Port Washington and the Azores.
• On May 20, 1939, the Pan American Airways Yankee Clipper took off from Port, launching transatlantic commercial flying.
• By 1942, Grumman was working out of Port.
• In 1951, Republic Aviation Corporation established a facility at Port.
• This site would later become the home of Thypin Steel. The large copper wings from the Pan Am hanger were given by them to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in the early 1980’s.
4. Kudos question: Identify the seaplane and famous person seen with William Beutenmuller:
As I had identified in a previous VCR Blog post (8/5/2015) - The photo is of a Sikorsky model S-39A, s/n 909, reg. NC807W, built ca. 1930. One of these aircraft (NC803W) has been restored and is on display at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, CT. Another one of these was used by the CAP at Base 17, Suffolk Airport during 1942-43 on coastal patrol looking for German submarines, etc.
I believe the famous person is Howard Hughes.
Had no clue but found some answers on this website and from Gary Hammond. Willie K’s Sikorsky S-43 amphibian seaplane (NC 16925, serial# 4314) at Sands Point Seaplane Base, Manhasset Bay 1938. This plane was later used by the US Army Air Corps Sep 1941 during WWII. It crash landed 2 months later at Corcorite Bay, Trinidad Nov 5 1941, killing all five persons on board. Looks like Howard Hughes next to Mr. Beutenmuller, exiting the 1930 Sikorsky S-39A single engine amphibian (NC 807W, serial# 909). Not sure if Hughes owned this plane. He later owned another twin engine S-43
Conflicting answers on previous blogs between the seaplane being Willie K’s. or Harold Vanderbilt’s. But I’ll go with it being Willie K’s Sikorsky S-43, NC16925 of which he took around the world and eventually was destroyed in a crash in Trinidad. Photo taken at Centeport.
Other seaplane (807W) is a Sikorsky S-39A.
Listing Showing S-39A with a registration # of N807W.
Sikorsky S-43 , don’t know, North Beach or Port Washington? Howard Hughes, Pan Am got started?
Best guess on the seaplane: it’s a Loening owned by Roy Grumman.
Or a Sikorsky flying boat
Here’s a picture of the interior for the Sikorsky
The person to the right,I believe,is Amelia Earhart.The photo maybe Oyster bay near Sagamore hill.And I’m going to guess that the plane is a Grumman design,though I have no proof.
The hat, the age, the slouch, the plane. It was either Howard Hughs, or a good impersonator. By the way, the plane looks like the forerunner of the PBY used during the War.
Another give-away. Too big to be Willie’s Douglas Dolphin. Unmistakeably Howard Hughes special Sikorsky S-43, now restored and at Kermit Weeks’ Fantasy of Flight Museum in Florida (NASM has a JRS-1). Also unmistakeable is Hughes himself, walking away from an older Sikorsky S-39. Location ISN’T Eagle’s Nest in Centerport - too flat. Hangar doesn’t look like Port Wash./Manorhaven/Tom’s Point seaplane base. North Field (LaGuardia) Marine Air Terminal (Term. A) didn’t open until 1939. Pearl Harbor? Hmm? Sam, III
Mystery Foto#13… The seaplane is William K. Vanderbilt’s Sikorsky S43, registration # NC16925.
The other photo with the tall guy in the white shirt and hat shows Howard Hughes with his Sikorsky S-39C plane.
Can’t determine the location of the first pic.
Could it be at LaGuardia marine air terminal
or at the Port Washington Marine air terminal???
Could that be Willie K.‘s Douglas Dolphin “Amphibion” at the Sands Point Seaplane Base on Manhasset Bay? This was the location where the first Trans-Atlantic commercial passenger flight took off on June 28, 1939. It then became Pan-Am’s headquarters during 1939-1940 for regular flights to Europe with the Boeing 314 “Clipper”. It had been Pan-Am’s Executive Airport from 1934 to 1937. Regarding the kudos photo: is that Amelia Earhart standing next to a Sikorsky S-39?
*ID seaplane & owner: Sikorsky S - 43 / NC - 16925 ( NC is Navy Curtiss ). Owned by William K Vanderbilt II.
*Location of Foto: Maybe Sands Point Seaplane Base NY
*Kudo ?: Don’t know the full name/type. That’s Howard Hughes in both photos, maybe prior to 1946 ( his near fatal crash ). William Beutenmuller appears around 30 yrs old.
Regarding the Mystery Foto #13, I see that one of the replies is from Karl Ludvigsen. The world renown Automotive Journalist/Author,Yes?
Karl, I met you a zillion years ago through mutual friend Armand Fiorenza.
Great to see you name here.
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Howard Kroplick
Yes, Karl is a regular viewer and he correctly identified Howard Hughes!
Wow! Wonderful information here! Super fun to read.
Had a notion that the Sands Point Seaplane Base wasn’t the location, too small and new. Now I realize the larger/square property just SE is the right location. Current aerial shows nature reclaiming the land.
Spec sheets and history of the Sikorsky S-39 have been posted.
Two photos of a Sikorsky S-39B NC-888W and a registry of S-39 seaplanes have been posted.
Whee, we are really getting far afield from the MP [bottom of Two Lakes (very likely Twin Lakes), Alaska, eh?] but I LOVE it! This blog site is truly world class! Thanks as always, Howard! Sam, III
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Howard Kroplick
Sam III, thanks! Howard I