Harold F. Pitcairn, the Museum’s namesake, founded Pitcairn Aviation in 1924 in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, beginning aircraft production in 1925 with the Fleetwing PA-1. In 1926, Pitcairn purchased farmland along Route 611 in the Willow Grove area to expand operations and manufacture the Mailwing series — land that would eventually become Naval Air Station Willow Grove. Pitcairn Aviation was awarded the first government contract to carry overnight airmail between New York and Atlanta. The PA-8 Super Mailwing, built in 1931, was the largest of the Mailwing series, capable of carrying 1,000 pounds of mail in 55 cubic feet of cargo space.
Aircraft Specifications
Physical Description
Fabric-covered biplane of steel-tube and wood construction, with an open cockpit, fixed landing gear, and a forward cargo compartment for airmail.
Crew: 1
Length: 24 ft 10 in
Wingspan: 35 ft
Height: 9 ft 9 in
Weight (empty / max takeoff): 2,270 lbs / 4,000 lbs
Powerplant: One Wright R-975-E3 radial engine
Maximum speed: 150 mph
Service ceiling: 16,000 ft
Weapons
None. The PA-8 was a civilian airmail aircraft.
Key Accomplishments
Was built on the very land that later became Naval Air Station Willow Grove, home of this Museum — a direct physical link between the Museum’s site and its founder’s legacy.
This aircraft, after decades of civilian ownership, was purchased in 1992 by Harold Pitcairn’s son Stephen, who restored it to flying condition; on June 9, 1998, Stephen Pitcairn flew the aircraft for the first time in nearly 50 years.
The aircraft continued flying until 2012, when the Pitcairn family donated it to the Museum — returning it to the site where it was originally built, more than 80 years earlier.
Build Date
1931
Manufacturer
Pitcairn Aviation
Dates of Service
1931 – 2012
Country of Origin
United States
Inventory Number
Serial #162
Credit
Owned by the Museum; donated by the Pitcairn family.
Display Status
After being certified airworthy in 1931, this aircraft was sold to Eastern Air Transport. In 1934, North American Aviation purchased the aircraft and replaced its lower wings following a structural failure. It passed through several owners over the following decades, including Becker-Forner Flying Service and B.T. Hammond, until Norton Aero Ltd. purchased it in 1983 and performed an engine overhaul. In 1992, Stephen Pitcairn, son of the Museum’s namesake Harold F. Pitcairn, purchased the aircraft and relocated it to his hangar in Robbinsville, New Jersey, for a complete restoration. The restoration was carried out by Mike Posey, now president of Posey Brothers, Inc. Stephen Pitcairn continued to fly the aircraft until August 2012, when the Pitcairn family retired it from flying and donated it to the Museum.
Status: On display.
