Pitcairn Mailwing
Pitcairn Aircraft Company · United States · first flew 1927 · transport aircraft
The Pitcairn Mailwing was a single-engine biplane designed specifically for US airmail operations in the late 1920s, built for reliability, ease of maintenance, and high mail-load capacity relative to its size. It was one of the most successful airmail aircraft of its era.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Forward mail compartment in lower fuselage, pilot aft |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-engine open-cockpit biplane mail carrier
- Wright Whirlwind radial engine in circular cowling
- Forward mail compartment in lower fuselage, pilot aft
A clean, equal-span single-bay biplane with a short fuselage, large radial engine, the pilot seated far aft behind the mail compartment, and fixed tailskid undercarriage — representative of late-1920s US mailplane design.
Specifications
- The Pitcairn Mailwing has a length of 6.88 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.36 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 209 km/h (130 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Agnew Larsen and first flown in 1927, the Mailwing served on several contract airmail routes operated by Pitcairn Aviation (later Eastern Air Transport). Models PA-5, PA-6, and PA-7 progressively improved the design. The type helped establish the reliability and regularity of US contract airmail operations under the Kelly Air Mail Act.
Variants
The PA-5 Mailwing, PA-6, and PA-7 were successive improvements; the PA-5 was the initial mail-carrier, the PA-7 added increased fuel and payload. All were single-seat open-cockpit biplanes.
Where you'll see it
Operated by Pitcairn Aviation and its successors on US airmail routes from 1927 into the early 1930s; replaced by more capable monoplanes as airmail operations expanded.
Related aircraft
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