PP-PAT  Fairchild A-942-A                              (c/n   9403)

                                 

                                     Here's the second of Pan Am's "Fairchild 91" amphibians at Belem in 1936.   Note awkward exit
                                     to be negotiated by the hardy passengers!  It was discovered that 90% of their operation was from
                                     water and thus in 1937 they were both converted to true flying boat status.  The removal of the
                                     undercarriage and its retracting mechanism afforded more payload.. By 1945 more airstrips had
                                     been built in the hinterland of Brazil permitting the operation of Lodestars and DC-3s into this area.
                                     Sadly the Fairchilds, along with a couple of remaining Sikorsky S-38s and a Commodore were
                                     chopped up at Manaus.