Lockheed Model 10 Electra

Last updated
Model 10 Electra
Earhart-electra 10.jpg
Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan's modified Electra 10E
General information
TypeLight airliner
Manufacturer Lockheed
Designer
Number built149
History
Introduction date1935
First flightFebruary 23, 1934
Variants Lockheed XC-35
Developed into

The Lockheed Model 10 Electra is an American twin-engined, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, which was produced primarily in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The type gained considerable fame as one was flown by Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan on their ill-fated around-the-world expedition in 1937.

Contents

Design and development

Clarence "Kelly" Johnson is testing an Electra model with single vertical tail and forward-sloping windshield in the University of Michigan's wind tunnel. Kelly-Johnson Electra.jpg
Clarence "Kelly" Johnson is testing an Electra model with single vertical tail and forward-sloping windshield in the University of Michigan's wind tunnel.

Some of Lockheed's wooden designs, such as the Orion, had been built by Detroit Aircraft Corporation with metal fuselages. However, the Electra was Lockheed's first all-metal and twin-engined design by Lloyd Stearman [1] [2] and Hall Hibbard. The name Electra came from a star in the Pleiades. The prototype made its first flight on February 23, 1934, with Marshall Headle at the controls. [3]

Wind-tunnel work on the Electra was undertaken at the University of Michigan. Much of the work was performed by a student assistant, Kelly Johnson. He suggested two changes be made to the design: changing the single tail to double tails (later a Lockheed trademark), and deleting oversized wing fillets. Both of these suggestions were incorporated into production aircraft. [4] Upon receiving his master's degree, Johnson joined Lockheed as a regular employee, ultimately leading the Skunk Works in developing advanced aircraft such as the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

The Lockheed Electra was one of the first commercial passenger aircraft with retractable landing gear to come equipped with mudguards as standard equipment, although aircraft with fixed landing gear commonly had mudguards much earlier than this. [5]

Operational history

Lockheed 10B of Marshall Airways (Australia) in 1970, had been initially delivered to Ansett Airways in 1937 Lockheed 10B VH-ASM Marshall Aws Bankstown 4.10.70 edited-2.jpg
Lockheed 10B of Marshall Airways (Australia) in 1970, had been initially delivered to Ansett Airways in 1937

After October 1934, when the US government banned single-engined aircraft for use in carrying passengers or in night flying, Lockheed was perfectly placed in the market with its new Model 10 Electra. In addition to deliveries to US-based airlines, several European operators added Electras to their prewar fleets. In Latin America, the first airline to use Electras was Cubana de Aviación, starting in 1935, for its domestic routes.

Flight deck of a Model 10A, which has been updated with a more modern instrument panel Lockheed 10A Electra flight deck.jpg
Flight deck of a Model 10A, which has been updated with a more modern instrument panel

Besides airline orders, a number of non-commercial civil operators also purchased the new Model 10. [6] In May 1937, H. T. "Dick" Merrill and J. S. Lambie accomplished a round-trip crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. The feat was declared the first round-trip commercial crossing of that ocean by any aircraft. It won them the Harmon Trophy. On the eastbound trip, they carried newsreels of the crash of the Hindenburg , and on the return trip from the United Kingdom, they brought photographs of the coronation of King George VI. Bata Shoes operated the Model 10 to ferry its executives between their European factories.

Earhart and her customized Lockheed Electra Amelia Earhart - GPN-2002-000211.jpg
Earhart and her customized Lockheed Electra

Probably the most famous use of the Electra was the highly modified Model 10E flown by Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan. In July 1937, they disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean during an attempted round-the-world flight. [6]

Many Electras and their design descendants (the Model 12 Electra Junior and Model 14 Super Electra) were pressed into military service during World War II, for instance the USAAF's C-36. By the end of the war, the Electra design was obsolete, although many smaller airlines and charter services continued to operate Electras into the 1970s. [6]

Electras were popular as private planes for royalty in Asia and Europe. In India, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and the Maharaja of Jodhpur both purchased them for their personal use in 1937. [7]

Variants

Lockheed Y1C-36 Lockheed Y1C-36.jpg
Lockheed Y1C-36
Lockheed Y1C-37 Lockheed Y1C-37.jpg
Lockheed Y1C-37
Lockheed XC-35 Lockheed XC-35 parked.jpg
Lockheed XC-35

The Electra was produced in several variants, for both civilian and military customers. Lockheed built a total of 149 Electras.

Electra 10-A
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior SB, 450 hp (336 kW) each; 101 produced.
Electra 10-B
Powered by Wright R-975-E3 Whirlwind, 440 hp (328 kW) each; 18 produced
Electra 10-C
Powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp SC1, 450 hp (336 kW) each; eight produced for Pan American Airways.
Electra 10-D
Proposed military transport version; none built.
Electra 10-E
Powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp S3H1, 600 hp (447 kW) each; 15 produced. The version used by Amelia Earhart.
  • Five impressed by the U.S. Army Air Forces as C-36B, redesignated as UC-36B in 1943.
XC-35
Experimental pressurized research model powered by turbocharged Pratt & Whitney XR-1340-43, 550 hp (410 kW) each. The one production model was tested for the War Department by Lieutenant Benjamin S. Kelsey. For this work, the Army Air Corps was awarded the 1937 Collier Trophy. [8]
Lockheed KXL1
A single Lockheed Model 10 Electra supplied to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service for evaluation.

Operators

Lockheed 10A restored in wartime RCAF markings Lockheed 10A N241M 7656 Denton TX 26.07.86 edited-3.jpg
Lockheed 10A restored in wartime RCAF markings
Lockheed Electra 10A in Royal Air Force service RAF Lockheed 10A Electra.jpg
Lockheed Electra 10A in Royal Air Force service
U.S. Navy XR2O-1 Lockheed XR2O-1.jpeg
U.S. Navy XR2O-1

Civil operators

Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil
Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Canada
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia
Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).svg  Mexico
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg  Venezuela
Flag of Yugoslavia (1918-1943).svg  Yugoslavia

Military operators

Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Canada
Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras
Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua
Flag of Spain (1931-1939).svg  Spain
Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg  Japan
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg  Venezuela

Surviving aircraft

Electra 10A "CF-TCC" in Trans-Canada Air Lines livery at the Western Canada Aviation Museum L-10A Electra at WCAM.JPG
Electra 10A "CF-TCC" in Trans-Canada Air Lines livery at the Western Canada Aviation Museum
Lockheed Electra at the Science Museum (London) Lockheed Electra (6305853672).jpg
Lockheed Electra at the Science Museum (London)

Specifications (Electra 10A)

3-view drawing of the Lockheed Model 10 Electra Lockheed Model 10 Electra.svg
3-view drawing of the Lockheed Model 10 Electra

Data fromJane's All the World's Aircraft 1937. [41]

General characteristics

Performance

210 mph (182 kn; 338 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
185 mph (161 kn; 298 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
195 mph (169 kn; 314 km/h) at 9,600 ft (2,926 m)

See also


Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

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References

Notes

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Bibliography

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