Wings to the Orient: In the late 1930s the Sikorsky S-42 Flying Clipper, also known as the Pan Am Clipper, helped open up the Pacific for passenger travel and allowed for trans-Pacific flights from the United States to as far away as Hong Kong. Ten of these magnificent flying boats were manufactured and all 10 were either scrapped or destroyed in accidents.

You can see the original patent for the S-42 here and photos here, here and here.