The Hall Aluminum Aircraft Corporation was not terribly successful, but managed to sell nine PH-1 flying boats to the US Navy in 1930. Production of the PH recommenced in 1936 for the Coast Guard which ordered seven PH-2s, and seven PH-3s in 1939. These were the USCG's largest aircraft. Rudy Arnold photographed V164 off Coney Island - the building on the far right is the Half Moon Hotel which stood at West 29th Street. This one was lost in July 1939. The type was used for anti-submarine patrols during the war and kept in service until 1944. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

Flown by test pilot Flying Officer Arthur Clouston and his co-pilot, newspaper correspondent Victor Ricketts in an 11-day, 42,000km UK-New Zealand-UK flight in March 1938. It is not known if the photo was taken eastbound or westbound but the same three Australian airports - Darwin, Charleville and Sydney - were used both ways. The NZ destination was Blenheim with the crew overnighting there before setting off again. Photo from: State Library of Queensland