Electra-fying

07/04/2024

Happy Independence Day to all! We wanted to take this opportunity to post a quick update regarding our project. We are still seeking the necessary funding for a project of this caliber; that being said, we knew the size of this project from the beginning. The importance of this project, not just to us but to aviation history, can't be stressed enough. Fifteen Lockheed Electra 10 aircraft exist worldwide, and roughly only three or four of those are airworthy, none of which are in the United States. The Electra, while best remembered for its connection to Amelia Earhart, was instrumental in the study of delivering supplemental oxygen to passengers at higher altitudes; additionally, due to the low cost of the aircraft at the time, it became an essential figure in the fleet of airlines like Northwest, Braniff, Eastern, and National - the inauguration of the Electra on commercial routes allowed for the growth and success of the airlines that owned them. With an airworthy L-10 Electra in the United States, the public can not only learn about the history of this beautiful aircraft but sit at the controls and get hands-on with history. As we mentioned earlier, this is a LARGE undertaking, but there is no plan to give up; like Amelia said, "What do dreams know of boundaries?"
(The photo shows a Lockheed Electra 10B, March 1940. DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)

02/03/2024

01/31/2024

07/03/2023

86 years ago, the Lockheed Electra 10 carrying famed aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared in the Pacific while searching for Howland Island; Amelia was nearing the end of her around-the-world flight at the equator. The fliers were never located, and no trace of the Electra has ever been found; many theories exist about the fate of Earhart and Noonan.
It would be nice to finally have closure about what happened on July 2, 1937; however, the disappearance should not overshadow the life and a long list of accomplishments of both pilot and navigator. Today is one of remembrance for two people who set out to prove to the world to dream big and never give up.
Fred Noonan was one of the leading pioneering aerial navigators, helping to open the Pacific for air travel. Although Fred may be known as Amelia's navigator, his contributions to aviation extend beyond that and should not be forgotten.
Amelia Earhart is, and always will be, a symbol of hope, courage, determination, and adventure. She was one hell of a woman who will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of those who dare to dream big and find their own adventures!

02/23/2023

89 years ago today the Lockheed Model 10 Electra made its first official test flight!

02/21/2023

LOT Polish Airlines received Lockheed Electra 1085 on March 6, 1937, registration SP-BGE; between September 1 and 12, 1939, five of the airlines' Electras were evacuated from Poland at the start of World War II. These aircraft were interned by the Romanians where they were reregistered, the old 'SP' codes were dropped and replaced with 'YR'. Two months later LOT made a fictitious sale to Imperial Airways, giving the aircraft British registration, and on November 7, 1939, Electra 1085 became G-AGAI. However, the sale and registration were never taken up as the Electra was taken by the Romanian Air Force. According to one of our sources, YR-BGE was stored in Calarasi until at least March 1940; on June 17, 1942, the aircraft was sold to LARES. All that is known is that the aircraft reportedly crashed in 1953, no details or information on the crash is known to us.
The pictures show Electra 1085 at the opening of the Malmi Airport, on May 15, 1938.

02/15/2023

A look inside the Electra's cockpit. "The dimensions of my cubbyhole aren't overly large. Exactly it is four feet eight inches high, four feet six inches wide, four feet six inches fore-and-aft. The measurements will help you visualize the quarters in which a pilot works." - Amelia Earhart.
Amelia would have sat in these quarters on flights ranging anywhere from 8 to 18 hours at a time. Commercial pilots had it much easier, then again they weren't attempting a flight around the world. To take a 3D panoramic look at the cockpit of an Electra that HAS circled the globe make sure to follow this link: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/lockheed-electra-10e-180961944/
The first photo is courtesy of Northwest Airlines History Center and the second is the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.