Sikorsky S-38 replica NC28V Photographed at Reno's Stead Airport in September 2006 during the Reno Air Races.
The original "Osa's Ark":
Martin and Osa Johnson, a couple famous in their day for their safaris and related lectures, books and films, purchased an S-38 and an S-39 in December of 1932 for a total of $20,000. They got quite a deal as that was far below market price. The Johnsons had most of the rear cabin seats removed and two light framed sleeping bunks installed along with a washroom and a two burner gasoline stove. The aircraft, which featured a distinctive zebra stripe paint scheme was loaded onto the ship 'City of New York' and shipped to Cape Town (South Africa) arriving in January 1933. Their safari took a meandering route through Africa, covering 4,400 miles before arriving in Nairobi. Along the way they circled Mount Kilimanjaro and filmed wildlife from the air. Upon reaching Nairobi, Osa was in poor health and the safari was quickly wrapped up. The S-38 carried them onward to England and from there was shipped back to the USA.
This replica:
R.W. "Buzz" Kaplan, Born Again Restorations' owner, and his friend Tom Schrade, a real estate investor and developer, decided to build an S-38, a restoration of Osa's Ark, that is the subject of this photograph. It is considered a restoration because it includes the wings and tail booms of an original Amphibion. Sikorsky had preferred the name "Amphibion" to the more usual "amphibian". The project required an investment of 2.5 years, 40,000 man-hours, and more than $2 million. Gary Underland was the artisan and primary builder of both S-38 replicas (this is the second of two).
Schrade and Kaplan had planned to fly their aircraft to Africa, until Kaplan died in his 1917 Curtiss JN-4 Jenny in July 2002.
Picture added on 16 February 2008
