Time Period: Interwar Period
Country of Origin: United States
Type: General Purpose Aircraft (Light Airliner), Transporter Aircraft, Reconnaissance and Surveillance
Manufacturer: Lockheed Corporation
Lockheed Model 10 Electra Aircraft Overview
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane aircraft that was designed and built by the Lockheed Corporation in the 1930s. It was primarily used as a commercial airliner, although it was also sometimes utilized by military organizations for transport and reconnaissance duties.
The Model 10 Electra was known for its sleek, modern design and advanced technology, which included features such as retractable landing gear and variable-pitch propellers. One of the most famous uses of the Model 10 Electra was by aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who attempted to fly around the world in 1937 in a specially-modified version of the aircraft. Despite its successes, the Model 10 Electra was eventually replaced by newer aircraft designs, and relatively few examples of the aircraft remain in operation today.
Lockheed Model 10 Electra History
Development of the Electra began in the early 1930s in response to a request from American Airlines for a modern, all-metal airliner to replace its aging fleet of Ford Trimotors. The resulting aircraft, designated the Model 10 Electra, featured a streamlined design, retractable landing gear, and a state-of-the-art airframe constructed of aluminum alloy.
The Electra made its maiden flight in February 1934 and quickly gained a reputation for its speed, range, and reliability. It was capable of carrying up to ten passengers and could cruise at speeds of around 190 mph, making it one of the fastest airliners of its time. Its advanced design also attracted interest from other airlines and government agencies around the world.
In addition to its success as a passenger airliner, the Electra was also adapted for military use. During World War II, Lockheed produced a militarized version of the Electra known as the Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior, which was used by the United States Army Air Forces and other Allied air forces for various roles, including transport, reconnaissance, and training.
The Lockheed Electra and Amelia Earhart
Despite its commercial success, the Electra is perhaps most famously associated with Amelia Earhart and her attempt to fly around the world in 1937. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during the final leg of their journey, sparking one of the most enduring mysteries in aviation history.
As part of its modification process, the aircraft underwent the blanking out of most of its cabin windows and the installation of specially fitted fuselage fuel tanks. Above the cockpit, the round RDF loop antenna is visible. The photograph shown here was captured at Luke Field on March 20, 1937, shortly before the plane’s subsequent crash later that morning.
Lockheed Model 10 Electra Specifications
- Crew: 2
- Capacity: 10 passengers + 670 lb (304 kg) mail and baggage
- Length: 38 ft 7 in (11.76 m)
- Wingspan: 55 ft (17 m)
- Height: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
- Wing area: 458.3 sq ft (42.58 m2)
- Airfoil: root: Clark Y (18%); tip: Clark Y (9%)
- Empty weight: 6,325 lb (2,869 kg) equipped
- Gross weight: 10,100 lb (4,581 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 194 US gal (161.5 imp gal; 734.4 l) in center-section leading edges and fuselage
- Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior SB 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 450 hp (340 kW) each at 2,300 rpm at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
- Propellers: 2-bladed Hamilton Standard constant-speed propellers.
Lockheed Model 10 Electra Performance
- Maximum speed: 190 mph (310 km/h, 170 kn) at sea level, fully loaded. 210 mph (182 kn; 338 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
- Cruise speed: 176 mph (283 km/h, 153 kn) at sea level. 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)
- Landing speed: 64 mph (56 kn; 103 km/h) flaps down
- Range: 810 mi (1,300 km, 700 nmi) at 75% power with maximum fuel
- Service ceiling: 21,250 ft (6,480 m) * Absolute ceiling: 23,200 ft (7,071 m)
- Absolute ceiling on one engine: 5,800 ft (1,768 m) fully loaded
- Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
- Wing loading: 22.04 lb/sq ft (107.6 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.079 hp/lb (0.130 kW/kg)
