The China Clipper was painted olive drab with a large American flag painted below the cockpit. The China Clipper was referred to as "Sweet Sixteen"Gandt, Robert L.: China Clipper, the Age of the Flying Boats, page 96. Naval Institute Press, 1991. by Pan American personnel.Taylor, Barry: Pan American's Ocean Clippers, page 112. Aero, an imprint of Tab Books, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1991. The "Sixteen" is a reference to the aircraft's registration number NC14716.
