General GA-43 Bolivar 1934 Pan Am SCADTA Floatplane Photo X13904 For Sale

General GA-43 Bolivar 1934
Pan Am SCADTA Floatplane Photo X13904
One of Just Five Ever Built, Named for the Liberator of South America
DESCRIPTIONOriginal vintage photograph of the General Aviation GA-43, registration X13904, shown on beaching gear at a coastal ramp with a period control tower and harbor buildings visible in the background, propeller frozen mid-turn by the shutter.This is one of only five GA-43s ever built. Designed by Virginius E. Clark, the engineer behind the famous Clark Y airfoil used on aircraft across the Golden Age, the GA-43 began life at Fairchild\'s American Pilgrim division before General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation took over the program shortly before its first flight in 1932. This aircraft was one of the last four production examples General Aviation ever completed, built in 1934 as General Motors was folding the company into the newly formed North American Aviation, the manufacturer that would go on to build the P-51 Mustang and the B-25 Mitchell. General Aviation itself was dissolved the following year, making this one of the final aircraft to carry the General Aviation name.X13904, construction number 2205, was ordered by Pan American\'s Aviation Supply Corporation and fitted with a 660-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Hornet T1 radial, twin floats, and an enlarged tail for water operations, details confirmed by the period notation on the reverse of this photograph. She was christened Bolivar, after Simon Bolivar, the revolutionary leader who won independence for Colombia and much of South America, and flown by SCADTA, the Colombian carrier in which Pan American held a controlling interest by this point, along the Rio Magdalena. Of the other four GA-43s built, one went to Swissair and was later lost over Switzerland, one crashed at Tokyo\'s Haneda Airport after passing through Japanese hands, and two flew domestically with Western Air Express and General Airlines.The reverse carries the stamp of AIRPHOTOS of Jamestown, New York, identified as photo number 2817, alongside the collector stamp of Richard L. Seely, Aero Literature, a two-chain provenance trail placing this print in documented mid-century aviation photograph circulation. Scanned at 600dpi to preserve every detail for close inspection.Every effort is made for fact-checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you\'re unsatisfied with the item, please reach out and I\'ll make it right. Orders placed before noon CDT ship same-day via Ground Advantage with tracking, so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. Rigid, professional packaging on all shipments, sealed and protected in acid-free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONExcellent for its age. Sharp period print with strong contrast and the natural softness of a period field photograph rather than a modern glossy finish. Clean, uncut white border on all sides, no tears, and no creases running through the image. The reverse shows light overall toning consistent with age, the two period collector stamps described above, and handwritten pencil and ink identification notes contemporary to the photo. No pinholes, no mounting residue, no writing on the front. Approximately 3.5 x 5.5 inches; exact measurement worth double-checking with calipers before finalizing the listing.