View source for Pitcairn Mailwing

{{short description|American 1920s three-seat mail and utility biplane}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= Mailwing
 |image= File:Pitcairn PA-8 Mailwing NC10753 during airshow at Geneseo, NY, MDF 0840.jpg
 |caption=PA-8 Mailwing in flight
 |type=Mail carrier and sport
 |national_origin=United States
 |manufacturer=[[Pitcairn Aircraft Company]]
 |designer=[[Agnew E. Larsen]]
 |first_flight=1927
 |introduction=1927
 |retired=
 |status=
 |primary_user= [[United States Post Office Department]]
 |number_built=106
 |developed_from=[[Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing II]]
 |variants=
}}
[[File:Pitcairn PA-6 Mailwing NC15307 Old Rhinebeck,NY MDF 2143.jpg|thumb|PA-6 Super Mailwing NC15307 at [[Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome]]]]

The '''Pitcairn Mailwing''' family is a series of American mail carrier and three-seat sport utility [[biplane]] aircraft produced from 1927 to 1931.

==Design and development==
The Pitcairn Mailwings were developed to carry [[air mail]] for the [[United States Post Office Department]]. Of simple and robust construction, they had relatively benign flying characteristics.<ref name=Juptner>{{cite book |last=Juptner |first=Joseph P.|title=U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol.2 |publisher=Aero Publishers |location=Los Angeles |date=1963 |pages=279–81 }}</ref>

They were constructed using chrome-moly steel tube and square-section spruce spars with spruce and plywood built-up ribs. The fuselage was faired using wooden formers and covered with fabric. The tail sections were built up from [[steel tube and fabric]]-covered. The Pitcairn Mailwing had a ground-adjustable fin and in-flight adjustable tailplane.<ref name=Juptner/>

The undercarriage was of outrigger type with Oleo-Spring shock absorbers and disc brakes on the mainwheels. All versions looked very similar and changes were minor, with several fuselage extensions being the most obvious.<ref name=Juptner/>

The mail was carried in a fireproof metal-lined compartment forward of the pilot's cockpit. The Mailwings were flown extensively by the U.S. Air Mail service from 1927 until the end of dedicated Air-Mail routes.<ref name=Juptner/>

Pitcairn also built the same aircraft in sport versions for private use. These aircraft had the mail compartment removed, and a side-by-side two-seat cockpit was fitted.<ref name=Juptner/>

==Variants==
[[File:Pitcairn pa-5 mailwing National Air and Space Museum photo D Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|Pitcairn Mailwing PA-5, at the [[National Air and Space Museum]]]]
[[File:PA7-S mailwing.jpg|thumb|right|PA-7S Super Sport Mailwing]]
''Data from:'' Aerofiles : Pitcairn<ref name="Aerofilespitc"/>

* '''PA-5''' - original production version of 1927 with [[Wright R-790|Wright J-5]]-9 engine; [[type certificate|ATC]] 18 (32 built)
** '''PA-5 Mailwing''' - mail carrier version
** '''PA-5 Sport Mailwing''' - sport version with seats for two passengers
* '''PA-6''' - 1928 production version with Wright J-5-9 engine; ATC 2-22 (early), 92 (late) (53 built)
** '''PA-6 Super Mailwing''' - mail carrier version
*** '''PA-6B Super Mailwing''' - (1 converted from PA-6)
** '''PA-6 Sport Mailwing''' - sport version with seats for two passengers
* '''PA-7''' - 1929 production version with [[Wright R-760|Wright J-6]] engine; ATC 196
** '''PA-7A''' Sport Mailwing 
** '''PA-7M Super Mailwing''' - mail carrier version (12 built)
** '''PA-7S Super Sport Mailwing''' (15 built)
* '''PA-8''' - 1930 production version with Wright J-6 engine; ATC 364
** '''PA-8M Super Mailwing''' - mail carrier version (6 built)

==Operators==
; {{Canada}}
* [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] one PA-5 Mailwing for experimental use by Station Flight, [[CFB Borden]]<ref name="Pitcairn Mailwing">{{cite web|title=Pitcairn Mailwing|url=https://caspir.warplane.com/asrc/acn/200001030/|accessdate=23 January 2024}}</ref>
; {{USA}}
* [[United States Post Office Department]]
* [[Howard Hughes]] owned a PA-5 Mailwing with a chrome plated engine.
* [[Alexis Felix du Pont, Jr.|Felix du Pont]] owned a PA-5 with gold plated rocker covers.<ref name=Pitcairn>{{cite web|title=Pitcairn|url=http://www.nationalaviation.org/pitcairn-harold/|accessdate=23 January 2011}}</ref>
* [[Steve McQueen]] owned a {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20081011232506/http://www.mcqueenonline.com/1930pitcairnpa8mailwing.htm PA-8]}}

==Survivors and aircraft on display==
*PA-5 c/n 1 NC2895   on display at the [[National Air and Space Museum|Air and Space Museum]], [[Washington, DC]]
*PA-5 c/n 9 NC3835 currently on display at the [[Shannon Airport (Virginia)|Shannon Air Museum]], [[Fredericksburg, VA]]
*PA-6 c/n 48 NC548K currently on display at the [[Eagles Mere Air Museum]], [[Laporte, PA]]
*PA-7S c/n 147 NC95W on display at the [[EAA Aviation Museum]], [[Oshkosh, WI]]
*PA-7S c/n 151 NC13158
*PA-6 c/n 159 NC15307 on display at the [[Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome]], [[Poughkeepsie, NY]]
*PA-8 c/n 164 NC10753
*PA-8 c/n 162 NC10751 on display at the [[Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum]], [[Horsham, PA]]

==Specifications (PA-7M Super Mailwing)==
[[File:Pitcairn PA-7 Sport Mailwing 3-view Aero Digest April,1930.png|thumb|Pitcairn PA-7 Sport Mailwing 3-view from Aero Digest April, 1930]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931,<ref name=JAWA1931>{{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1931 |editor1-last=Grey |editor1-first=C.G. |year=1931 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & company, ltd |location=London |page=307c}}</ref> Aerofiles: Pitcairn<ref name="Aerofilespitc"/>''
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1
|capacity=mail compartment {{cvt|40|cuft}} / {{cvt|550|lb}} payload
|length ft=23
|length in=9
|upper span ft=33
|lower span ft=30
|height ft=9
|height in=6.5
|wing area sqft=243.5
|airfoil=Pitcairn No.1
|empty weight lb=1820
|gross weight lb=3050
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{cvt|60|USgal|impgal l}}
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Wright J-6 Whirlwind]]
|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine
|eng1 hp=220

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Standard steel propeller
|prop dia m=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=150
|max speed note=''' '''
* '''Landing speed:''' {{cvt|57|mph|kn km/h}}
|cruise speed mph=112
|cruise speed note=('''PA-5''')<ref name="Aerofilespitc">{{cite web |last1=Eckland |first1=K.O. |title=Pitcairn |url=http://aerofiles.com/_pitc.html |website=aerofiles.com |accessdate=27 December 2018}}</ref>
|stall speed mph=45
|stall speed note=('''PA-5''')<ref name="Aerofilespitc"/>
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range miles=520
|range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=18000
|ceiling note=('''PA-5''')<ref name="Aerofilespitc"/>
|climb rate ftmin=1100
|climb rate note=('''PA-5''')<ref name="Aerofilespitc"/>
|time to altitude=
|wing loading lb/sqft=12.1
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass={{cvt|13.8|lb/hp|kg/kW}}
|more performance=
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation|US}}
=== Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era ===
(Partial listing, only covers most numerous types)
<!-- same configuration, role AND era -->
*[[Alexander Eaglerock]]
*[[American Eagle A-101]]
*[[Brunner-Winkle Bird]]
*[[Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster]]
*[[Command-Aire 3C3]]
*[[Parks P-1]]
*[[Spartan C3]]
*[[Stearman C2]] and [[Stearman C3|C3]]
*[[Swallow New Swallow]]
*[[Travel Air 2000|Travel Air 2000 and 4000]]
*[[Waco 10]]

=== Related lists ===
<!--limited to 2-3 usually, should have a link back to page being used on-->
* [[List of aircraft]]
* [[List of civil aircraft]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{commonscat}}
* {{cite web |title=Pitcairn Mailwing|work=airminded.net|url=http://www.airminded.net/mwing/mwing.html  |accessdate=2008-10-20}}
* {{cite web |title=U.S. Air Mail Service – 90th Anniversary|work=Antiqueairfield.com |url=http://www.antiqueairfield.com/features/us_airmail.html |accessdate=2008-10-20}}

{{Pitcairn aircraft}}

[[Category:1920s United States mailplanes]]
[[Category:Pitcairn aircraft|Mailwing]]
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1927]]