In 1919, businessman Raymond Orteig established a prize of $ 25,000 for a transatlantic flight between New York and Paris. In 1926, the French pilot Rene Fonck decided to try his luck. He turned to the Sikorsky Manufacturing Company, which, by his order, converted its twin-engine passenger aircraft S-35 into a three-engine one.
The S-35 was a sesquiplane with a non-retractable landing gear. 3 × Gnome-Rhône Jupiter 9A engines (425 hp) allowed a maximum speed of 233 km/h. There was enough fuel for 7 hours of flight. With additional tanks — at 5850 km (according to calculations). August 23, 1926-the first flight of the Sikorsky S-35 transport aircraft.
During the test flights, the S35 showed good flight characteristics. But for a long-distance flight, additional training was needed. Fonk hurried Igor Sikorsky and it ended badly. On September 21, 1926, an overloaded plane crashed during takeoff. 2 of the 4 crew members were killed.
