Lockheed 10A Electra
The Lockheed Model 10A Electra was a sleek, twin-engine, all-metal airliner introduced in the 1930s, and one of the first aircraft to signal Lockheed’s shift into modern commercial aviation. It’s perhaps most famously known as the aircraft flown by Amelia Earhart during her ill-fated around-the-world attempt in 1937.
✈️ Overview:
- Role: Light airliner / executive transport
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation
- First flight: February 23, 1934
- Introduced: 1935
- Number built: 149 (Model 10A)
- Production ended: 1941 (including all Electra variants)
🛠️ Key Specs (Model 10A):
- Engines: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engines
- Power: ~450 hp (336 kW) each
- Cruise speed: ~190 mph (306 km/h)
- Range: ~713 miles (1,147 km)
- Service ceiling: 19,400 ft (5,900 m)
- Passenger capacity: 10 passengers + 2 crew
- Wingspan: 55 ft (16.76 m)
- Length: 38 ft 7 in (11.76 m)
- Empty weight: ~6,200 lb (2,812 kg)
🔍 Design Highlights:
- All-metal construction (monocoque fuselage)—advanced for the time
- Twin tail design—a Lockheed trademark later seen on aircraft like the P-38 Lightning
- Retractable landing gear
- Streamlined Art Deco style, often compared to the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2
- Used as both a passenger aircraft and executive transport
✨ Notable Users:
- Amelia Earhart: Flew a modified Model 10E Electra (with more powerful engines and long-range tanks) on her 1937 world flight attempt.
- U.S. Government: Several used as executive aircraft.
- Airlines:
Northwest Airlines
Eastern Air Lines
Pan Am (used overseas in Latin America)
Braniff Airways
LOT Polish Airlines
- Northwest Airlines
- Eastern Air Lines
- Pan Am (used overseas in Latin America)
- Braniff Airways
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Also used by Argentina, Canada, and Australia
🧳 Variants:
✅ Strengths:
- Fast and reliable for its time
- Advanced aerodynamics and metal construction
- Ideal for regional airline routes
- Proven in both civil and military/government service
❌ Weaknesses:
- Limited capacity compared to emerging larger airliners (like the DC-3)
- Short range (on the 10A)—later models improved this
- Eventually outclassed by more powerful and spacious designs
🪦 Legacy:
- The Electra helped establish Lockheed’s reputation for innovative and elegant aircraft
- Though overshadowed commercially by the DC-3, the Electra was a pioneering aircraft
- The Amelia Earhart connection ensures its lasting fame in aviation lore
- Several Electras still survive in museums and private collections—some are flyable!
🧭 Fun Fact:
The name “Electra” came from one of Lockheed designer Gordon Kendall’s daughters, who was named after the star Electra in the Pleiades constellation—starting a Lockheed tradition of naming aircraft after celestial themes (like the Constellation, Starliner, etc.).
| Variant | Description |
|---|---|
| 10A | Base model with P&W R-985 Wasp Juniors |
| 10B | Upgraded engines (Wright R-975 Whirlwind) |
| 10C | Cargo version |
| 10E | Long-range version with P&W R-1340 engines (used by Earhart) |
| MRO | Location | Lockheed 10A Electra Services |
|---|
A list of parts on the Lockheed 10A Electra is coming soon. Please check back again next week.