Sikorsky S-40
RegNameYearRegionData
NC80VAmerican Clipper1931PacificThe First PAA Clipper, inaugural flight 11/19/31
NC81VCaribbean Clipper1931PacificScrapped
NC752VSouthern Clipper1932PacificScrapped

Sikorsky S-42
RegNameYearRegionData
NC822MBrazilian Clipper
Colombia Clipper
1934Latin America
& Pacific
Renamed Colombia Clipper for use on Pacific Survey flights. Scrapped 1946.
NC823MWest Indies Clipper
Pan American Clipper
Hong Kong Clipper
1934Latin AmericaRenamed Pan American Clipper. Renamed Hong Kong Clipper 1937. Sank at Antilla, Cuba, 9/7/44
NC824Munchristened1935Latin AmericaCrashed, Port au Spain, Trinidad, 12/20/35
NC15373Jamaica Clipper1935Latin America (S-42A). Scrapped 7/15/46
NC15374Antilles Clipper1935Latin America(S-42A). Scrapped 7/15/46
NC15375Brazilian Clipper
Colombian Clipper
1936Latin America (S-42A). Scrapped 7/15/46
NC15376Dominican Clipper1936Latin America (S-42A). Lost in accident in San Juan Harbor 10/3/41
NC16734Pan American Clipper II
Samoan Clipper
1936Pacific (S-42A). Renamed Samoan Clipper, lost near Pago Pago, Samoa, 1/11/38
NC16735Bermuda Clipper
Alaska Clipper
Hong Kong Clipper II
1936Atlantic & Pacific (S-42A). Baltimore-Bermuda route. To Alaska 1940 and renamed Alaska Clipper, to Manila-Hong Kong route 1941 and renamed Hong Kong Clipper II. Sunk by Japanese bombing, Hong Kong 12/8/41 (See note #1 below).
NC16736Pan American Clipper III
Bermuda Clipper
1937North Atlantic & South Atlantic (S-42A). Survey flights, to Bermuda route 1940 and renamed Bermuda Clipper. To South America 19??. Destroyed at Manaus, Brazil, on the Rio Negro 7/27/43

Martin M-130
RegNameYearRegionData
NC14714Hawaiian Clipper
Hawaii Clipper
1936PacificFirst scheduled transpacific passenger service 10/21/36. Rechristened Hawaii Clipper in 1937. Lost over the Pacific east of Manila 7/29/38
NC14715Philippine Clipper1935PacificTo USN as M-130 [48230] 1942. Crashed into a mountain at Boonville CA, 1/21/43
NC14716China Clipper1935PacificFirst transpacific air mail 11/22/35. To USN as M-130 [48231] 1942. Crashed Port au Spain, Trinidad, 1/8/45

Boeing B-314
RegNameYearRegionData
NC18601Honolulu Clipper1939PacificOperated by PAA during the war. Collided with USS San Pablo taking it under tow and was sunk by cannon fire 11/14/45
NC18602California Clipper
Pacific Clipper
1939PacificRenamed Pacific Clipper. To USN as B-314 [48224] 1942 but operated by PAA; to World Airways 1946, scrapped in 1950
NC18603Yankee Clipper1939AtlanticFirst transatlantic air mail. To USN as B-314 [48225] 1942 but operated by PAA. Crashed and sank in River Tagus near Lisbon, Portugal, 2/22/43
NC18604Atlantic Clipper1939AtlanticTo USN as B-314 [48226] 1942 but operated by PAA. Salvaged for parts in 1946
NC18605Dixie Clipper1939AtlanticFirst transatlantic passenger service; first actual US presidential aircraft 1/11/43 (SEE Chronology). To USN as B-314 [48227] 1942 but operated by PAA; to World Airways 1946, scrapped in 1950.
NC18606American Clipper1939AtlanticTo USAAF [42-88631] then USN [99083] 1942; to World Airways 1946, scrapped in 1950
NC18607
NC18608
 1941England(B-314A) Both ordered by PAA but went to BOAC 1941 as [G-AGBZ] Bristol and [G-AGCA] Berwick; both to World Airways 1948-??
NC18609Pacific Clipper1941Pacific(B-314A) To USAAF [42-88632] then USN [99084] 1946; to Universal Airlines 1946-??, damaged in a storm and salvaged for parts
NC18610 1941England(B-314A) Ordered by PAA but went to BOAC 1941 as [G-AGCB] Bangor, to World Airways 1948-??
NC18611Anzac Clipper1941Atlantic & Pacific(B-314A) To USAAF [42-88630] then USN [99082] 1942; to American International Airways 1946; to World Airways 1948, sold and destroyed in Baltimore MD in late 1951
NC18612Capetown Clipper1941Atlantic(B-314A) To USAAF [42-88622] then USN [99081] 1942; to American International Airways 1946. Sunk at sea by USCG as a hazard to ships after colliding with boat in precautionary landing 10/14/47

Data: Peter M Bowers, Andres Visser, PanAm.org, R E G Davies: Pan Am, An Airline and Its Aircraft


There is much misinformation and speculation in data found about the Clippers, and I feel this is the most accurate representation, despite still having a few areas of contest. Several URLs on this subject, which "liberated" Aerofiles' original 1998 data verbatim long ago, still contain original errors and misinformation that was amended as more substantive data were found. Other sites have relied on unspecified sources or use mixtures of sources.

Questions still lie here — such as that second Pacific Clipper appearing on PanAm records and USN regs, and Clipper Betsy Ross, which shows as a 1952 DC-6B [N6523C] — and I welcome any documented evidence that might set these records straight, for once and for all. (— K O Eckland 7/20/04)

NOTE #1: Hong Kong Clipper II was destroyed about 8:10 a.m., Dec 8, 1941, Hong Kong local time. Because Hong Kong is west of the International Date Line, it was Dec 7 in the U.S.

Source for this is Stanley Weintraub's Long Day's Journey Into War: Dec 7, 1941 (Truman Talley-Dutton 1991), pp 419-421. On page 414 it shows that 8:00 a.m. on Dec 8 at Hong Kong was 1:30 p.m. on Dec 7 at Pearl Harbor. The book also refers to the log of British destroyer HMS Scout as noting that the air raid that got Hong Kong Clipper II took place at 8:10 a.m. I assume that the loss of an airplane is noted with the time and date at the location of loss. It is part of being a professional reference librarian, and an amateur historian. (— Richard Smyers 7/23/04)