This Italian designed, single-engine biplane flying boat was designed by Savoia Marchetti and built under license by American Aeronautics Corporation in Long Island, NY. The original aircraft was flown on a record breaking, 10,000 mile trip around the world by Zachary Smith Reynolds of the R.J. Reynolds family.
Smith Reynolds was only 20 years old at the time, but his daring flight over Europe, North Africa, and Asia (17,000 miles in an open cockpit!) marked him as a competent aviator and avid sports pilot. This aircraft is one of only two in the world, and is on long-term loan from the Reynolds House.