Vega Aircraft Corporation

Last updated
Vega Aircraft Corporation
FormerlyAiRover Company
Industry Aerospace
FoundedFebruary 24, 1937;86 years ago (1937-02-24)
Founders Robert E. Gross
DefunctNovember 30, 1943 (1943-11-30)
FateMerged with Lockheed Aircraft Company
Successor Lockheed Aircraft Company
Headquarters,
United States of America
Parent Lockheed Aircraft Company
A worker at the Vega Aircraft Corporation during World War II World War II woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California 1942.jpg
A worker at the Vega Aircraft Corporation during World War II
A Vega 35 operated by the Civil Air Patrol Vega35CAP (4491842755).jpg
A Vega 35 operated by the Civil Air Patrol

The Vega Aircraft Corporation was a subsidiary of the Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California responsible for much of its parent company's production in World War II.

Contents

History

The company was first formed in August 1937 as the AiRover Company to produce a new light aircraft design. It was renamed in May 1938 to honor Lockheed's first aircraft design, the Vega. [1]

The AiRover Model 1 was a Lockheed Altair fitted with a Menasco Unitwin 2-544 engine, which featured two engines driving a single shaft. The AiRover Model 2 was a new design named the Vega Starliner. One Starliner prototype was built and tested, but the design did not go into production. [2]

In 1940, with World War II already underway in Europe, Vega changed its focus from light aircraft to military aircraft. The company began by producing five North American NA-35 trainers under license with North American Aviation. Production by Vega really got underway with the Hudson, a patrol bomber designed for use by the Royal Air Force.

Vega entered a partnership between three companies (the other two being Boeing and Douglas) (abbreviated BVD) to produce the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Of over 12,000 B-17s produced by war's end, 2,750 were built by Vega. The company also built two experimental B-17 variants, the Boeing XB-38 Flying Fortress and the Boeing YB-40 Flying Fortress.

By the end of November 1943, Vega had merged back into Lockheed, having far surpassed its original mission of producing light aircraft. [3] [4]

Aircraft

Model nameFirst flightNumber builtType
Vega Model 1 19381Modified version of the Lockheed Altair
Vega Model 2 Starliner 19391Prototype lightplane
Vega Model 40 5Target drone
Vega 35 4Development of the North American NA-35
Vega Hudson License built version of Lockheed Hudson
Vega Ventura 19413,028Twin engine medium/patrol bomber
Vega B-17 Flying Fortress 19422,750License built version of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Vega XB-38 Flying Fortress 19431Modified version of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress with inline engines
Vega YB-40 Flying Fortress 19421Modified version of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress to gunship configuration

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Corporation</span> 1926–1995 aerospace manufacturer in the United States

The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and merged in 1995 with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but otherwise-unrelated Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company, which was operational from 1912 to 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuselage</span> Main body of an aircraft

The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage, which in turn is used as a floating hull. The fuselage also serves to position the control and stabilization surfaces in specific relationships to lifting surfaces, which is required for aircraft stability and maneuverability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn L. Martin Company</span> Defunct American aerospace manufacturer (1917-61)

The Glenn L. Martin Company, also known as The Martin Company from 1917 to 1961, was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company founded by aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the US and allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War. During the 1950s and '60s, the Martin Company moved from the aircraft industry into the guided missile, space exploration, and space utilization industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Model 9 Orion</span> Type of aircraft

The Lockheed Model 9 Orion is a single-engined passenger aircraft built in 1931 for commercial airlines. It was faster than any American military aircraft of that time. Designed by Richard A. von Hake, it was the last wood aircraft produced by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Aircraft Company</span> American aerospace manufacturer, 1921–1967

The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace and defense company based in Southern California. Founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr., it merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas, where it operated as a division. McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convair</span> 1943–1996 American aerospace manufacturer

Convair, previously Consolidated Vultee, was an American aircraft-manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft. In 1953, it was purchased by General Dynamics, and operated as their Convair Division for most of its corporate history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Constellation</span> Family of US airliners with 4 piston engines, 1943

The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") is a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1943. The Constellation series was the first pressurized-cabin civil airliner series to go into widespread use. Its pressurized cabin enabled commercial passengers to fly well above most bad weather for the first time, thus significantly improving the general safety and ease of air travel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone</span> 1937 18-cylinder radial piston engine family by Wright

The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone is an American twin-row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine with 18 cylinders displacing nearly 3,350 cubic inches (54.9 L). Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp, depending on the model. Developed before World War II, the R-3350's design required a long time to mature before finally being used to power the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vultee Aircraft</span> 1932–1943 American aerospace manufacturer

Vultee Aircraft, Inc. was an aircraft manufacturer founded in 1939 in Los Angeles County, California, when the Vultee Aircraft Division of the aviation holding company AVCO was reorganized as an independent company. It had limited success before merging with the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation on March 17–18, 1943, to form the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation − or Convair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Altair</span> Type of aircraft

The Lockheed Altair was a single-engined sport aircraft produced by Lockheed Aircraft Limited in the 1930s. It was a development of the Lockheed Sirius with a retractable undercarriage, and was the first Lockheed aircraft and one of the first aircraft designs with a fully retractable undercarriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Lockheed</span> American aviation engineer and industrialist (1889–1969)

Allan Haines Lockheed was an American aviation engineer and businessman. He formed the Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company along with his brother, Malcolm Loughead, which became Lockheed Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garrett AiResearch</span> Former American manufacturer of aircraft engines

Garrett AiResearch was a manufacturer of turboprop engines and turbochargers, and a pioneer in numerous aerospace technologies. It was previously known as Aircraft Tool and Supply Company, Garrett Supply Company, AiResearch Manufacturing Company, or simply AiResearch. In 1964, Garrett AiResearch merged with Signal Oil & Gas to form a company renamed in 1968 to Signal Companies, which in 1985 merged with Allied Corporation into AlliedSignal. In 1999 AlliedSignal acquired Honeywell and adopted the Honeywell name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratt & Whitney T34</span>

The Pratt & Whitney T34 was an American axial flow turboprop engine designed and built by Pratt & Whitney. Its only major application was on the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed C-69 Constellation</span> Early military version of the Constellation

The Lockheed C-69 Constellation was a four-engined, propeller-driven military transport aircraft developed during World War II. It was co-developed with the Lockheed Constellation airliner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed L-1649 Starliner</span> US airliner with 4 piston engines, 1956

The Lockheed L-1649 Starliner was the last model of the Lockheed Constellation line of airliners. Powered by four Wright R-3350 TurboCompound engines, it was built at Lockheed's Burbank, California plant from 1956 to 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation</span> US airliner with 4 piston engines, 1951

The Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation is an American aircraft, a member of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. Colloquially referred to as The Connie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed L-049 Constellation</span> US airliner with 4 piston engines, 1943

The Lockheed L-049 Constellation was the first model of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. It entered service as the C-69 military transport aircraft during World War II for the United States Army Air Forces and was the first civilian version after the war. When production ended in 1946 it was replaced by the improved L-649 and L-749 Constellation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menasco Motors Company</span> American engineering and aerospace manufacturing company

The Menasco Motors Company was an American aircraft engine and component manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menasco Unitwin 2-544</span> Inverted twin six-cylinder air cooled aircraft engine

The Menasco Unitwin 2-544 was a coupled piston engine. Menasco Motors Company of Burbank, California was a well known manufacturer of inverted inline four and six cylinder engines. At the request of Lockheed Aircraft designers, Menasco produced an inverted twelve-cylinder air cooled aircraft engine by designing a common crankcase and gearbox for two of the six cylinder engines. The two crankshafts were combined with a unique double clutch gearbox to power a single propeller. This gave reliability of a twin engine aircraft in a single powerplant. It was a success, but did not enter production as no aircraft were produced that used it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vega Model 2 Starliner</span> Prototype five seat feeder airliner

The Vega Model 2 Starliner was a prototype five-seat feeder airliner produced by the Vega Airplane Company, a subsidiary of Lockheed. It was designed to be powered by an unusual powerplant, consisting of two Menasco piston engines coupled together to drive a single propeller. A single example was built, flying in 1939, but no production followed.

References

Notes

  1. "Lockheed Unit Takes New Name". Los Angeles Times. 1 June 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. "Chapter V: Peace, Prosperity, Peril" (PDF). Of Men and Stars: A History of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Burbank, California: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. July 1957. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  3. Thisdayinaviation.com Vega Aircraft Corporation
  4. "Vega Wanes". Aviation News. McGraw-Hill Publishing Corporation. 22 November 1943. p. 24. Retrieved 5 July 2021.

Bibliography

  • Francillon, René J, Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. Naval Institute Press: Annapolis, 1987.
  • Yenne, Bill, Lockheed. Crescent Books, 1987.