HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Lockheed Air Express
OR:
Lockheed Air Express on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

__NOTOC__ The Lockheed Air Express was the second aircraft design created by the
Lockheed Aircraft Company The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but ...
after its founding in 1927; the type first flew in April 1928.Francillon 1982, p.85.


Description

The Air Express design incorporated the original fuselage of the
Vega Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, an ...
, but in order to meet the requirements of
Western Air Express Western Airlines was a major airline based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mexico City, London and N ...
, the wing was raised to a parasol configuration above the fuselage and the cockpit was moved behind the wing, while a more powerful
Pratt & Whitney Wasp The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled radial piston engines developed in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Gunston 1989, p.114. The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentsc ...
engine was fitted to ease operations over the
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...
mountains.Francillon 1982, pp. 84–85. The design was a commercial success for the company although only seven were built, plus one Air Express Special. No Air Expresses have survived to the present day. One, registered NR3057, was flown by
Roscoe Turner Roscoe Turner (September 29, 1895 – June 23, 1970) was a record-breaking American aviator who was a three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race and widely recognized by his flamboyant style and his pet, Gilmore the Lion. Early life ...
.


Variants

;Lockheed 3 Air Express: Single-engined passenger and mail transport aircraft, seating between four and six passengers in an enclosed cabin, able to carry up to 1,000-lb (454-kg) of mail, powered by a 410-hp (306-kW)
Pratt & Whitney Wasp The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled radial piston engines developed in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Gunston 1989, p.114. The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentsc ...
radial piston engine; seven built. ;Air Express Special: One-off version built for
Laura Ingalls Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the ''Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...
, for a non-stop trans-Atlantic flight in 1931; one built.


Operators

; *
Panair do Brasil Panair do Brasil was an airline of Brazil. Between 1945 and 1965 it was considered to be the largest carrier not only in Brazil but in all of Latin America. It ceased operations in 1965. History NYRBA do Brasil (1929–1930) ''Panair do Bras ...
; *
American Airways American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
*
New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Line (NYRBA or NYRBA Air Lines) was an airline that operated seaplane service from New York City to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and intermediate points on the east coast of South America during the 1920s. It was ...
*
Pan American Airways Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
* Texas Air Transport *
Western Air Express Western Airlines was a major airline based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mexico City, London and N ...


Specifications


See also


References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Francillon, René J. ''Lockheed Aircraft since 1913''. London:Putnam, First edition, 1982. . * Francillon, René J, ''Lockheed Aircraft since 1913''. Naval Institute Press: Annapolis, 1987. {{Lockheed
Air Express Air Express (26 April 1994 – 2000) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He was highly tried as a juvenile in 1996, winning one minor race and being placed in the July Stakes, Solario Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes. In ...
1920s United States airliners Single-engined tractor aircraft Parasol-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1928