Basil Smith: Consolidated Commodore Seaplane

Artist: Basil Smith
1925 -
Nationality: British
Artwork Year: 1984
Image Size: 7 by 6 inches
Overall Size: 10 by 9 inches
Medium: Mixed Media on Hot Press Illustration Board

One of the most unusual of all aircraft is the flying boat. Much more complicated than a conventional airplane, the flying boat's fuselage must be buoyant enough to float the entire aircraft and withstand the shocks of take-offs and landing in the rough seas. One of the first flying boats was the Consolidated Commodore which was the direct forerunner of the famous PBY Catalina flying boat used extensively during World War II. The Commodore pioneered a regular passenger service between Florida and Argentina in the early 1930s. The flight, which was covered in eight stages, arrived in Buenos Aires eleven days sooner than the fastest steamship of the day. The Commodore was a very comfortable and spacious aircraft with ample room for up to twenty-two passengers, seated in richly upholstered individual seats. Later versions of the aircraft could luxuriously accommodate up to thirty passengers and included a buffet and lavatory. Designed especially for long, overwater trips, the Commodore could maintain a cruising speed of over one hundred miles per hour and had a range of one thousand miles. In the early 1930s Pan American Airways initiated a flight from Jamaica to Panama which, at that time, was the longest non-stop flight over water in the world. With its fleet of Commodores, Pan American Airways established over nineteen thousand miles of airways from the lower United States through most of South America.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® Trains & Boats & Planes & More Collection Description Card for the Commodore.

Artwork Copyright © 1984 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB09305

US$ Price: $950.00

Easy Purchase Plan: Buy this ArtworkOriginal with 8 monthly payments. Shipping and handling will be added to the first payment. Payments will be charged automatically as due to your Credit Card.

How to buy Original Artwork:

If you would like to buy Original Artwork, there are several convenient ways:

Use The Artwork Gallery: simply click the "Hang in Gallery" for pictures of interest. This puts the picture in your Personal Artwork Gallery, where you can view or remove it. When you've finished hanging artwork in your Personal Artwork Gallery, Go to your Personal Artwork Gallery and select an option for contacting us or ordering from us from there.

To get in touch with us directly about a piece of Artwork by Phone note the SKU and dial TOLL FREE 1-800-443-4225 from throughout U.S. and Canada.