The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar is a passenger transport aircraft of the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

era.

Design and development

Sales of the 10–14 passenger

Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra The Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra was an American civil passenger and cargo aircraft built by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation during the late 1930s. An outgrowth of the earlier Model 10 Electra, the Model 14 was also developed into larger, ...

, which first flew in 1937, had proved disappointing, despite the aircraft's excellent performance, as it was more expensive to operate than the larger Douglas DC-3, already in widespread use. In order to improve the type's economics, Lockheed decided to stretch the aircraft's fuselage by , allowing an extra two rows of seats to be fitted. The prototype for the revised airliner, designated Model 18 by Lockheed, was converted from the fourth Model 14, one of a batch which had been returned to the manufacturer by

Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...

after a series of crashes. The modified aircraft first flew in this form on September 21, 1939, another two prototypes being converted from Model 14s, with the first newly built Model 18 flying on February 2, 1940. A total of 625 Lodestars of all variants were built.

Operational history

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar over Houston,1947-48

The Lodestar received its

Type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...

on March 30, 1940, allowing it to enter service with the first customer, Mid-Continent Airlines that month. As hoped, the extra seats greatly improved the Model 18's economics, reducing its seat-mile costs to a similar level to that of the DC-3, while retaining superior performance. Despite this, sales to US domestic customers were relatively slow as most US airlines were already committed to the DC-3, with only 31 Lodestars going to US airlines. Overseas sales were a little better, with the biggest airline customers being South African Airways (21),

New Zealand National Airways Corporation New Zealand National Airways Corporation, popularly known as NAC, was the national domestic airline of New Zealand from 1947 until 1978 when it amalgamated with New Zealand's international airline, Air New Zealand. The airline was headquartere ...

(13),

Trans-Canada Air Lines Trans-Canada Air Lines (also known as TCA in English, and Trans-Canada in French) was a Canadian airline that operated as the country's flag carrier, with corporate headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. Its first president was Gordon Roy McGreg ...

(12) and BOAC (9); another 29 were bought by the

Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force ( nl, Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL) was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1939 until ...

. Various Pratt & Whitney and

Wright Cyclone Wright Cyclone was the name given to a family of air-cooled radial piston engines designed by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation and used in numerous American aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. Background The Wright Aeronautical Corporation wa ...

powerplants were installed. When the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

started to build up its military air strength in 1940–41, many American-operated Lodestars were impressed as the C-56. This was followed by the construction of many new-build Lodestars which were flown by the U.S. Army Air Forces as the C-60 and by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

and U.S. Marine Corps as the R5O. Lend-lease aircraft were used by the

RNZAF The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeal ...

as transports. One was purchased in 1942 to serve as Brazilian President

Getúlio Vargas Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (; 19 April 1882 – 24 August 1954) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954. Due to his long and controversial tenure as Brazi ...

' personal aircraft. This aircraft was specially designed for that purpose and had 11 seats. Lockheed 18 Tri N6711 OPA 02

After the war many Lodestars were overhauled and returned to civilian service, mostly as executive transports such as Dallas Aero Service's DAS Dalaero conversion,

Bill Lear William Powell Lear (June 26, 1902 – May 14, 1978) was an American inventor and businessman. He is best known for founding Learjet, a manufacturer of business jets. He also invented the battery eliminator for the B battery, and developed the ...

's Learstar (produced by PacAero), and Howard Aero's Howard 250.Taylor 1965, p. 244. A few of the latter were converted to tricycle landing gear. While the surviving

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

NZNAC aircraft were sold back overseas in 1951/52, six more were later imported and converted for

aerial topdressing Aerial topdressing is the aerial application of fertilisers over farmland using agricultural aircraft. It was developed in New Zealand in the 1940s and rapidly adopted elsewhere in the 1950s. Origins Previous aerial applications The first k ...

. A single Lodestar served with the

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defens ...

during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. A number of skydiving operations in the United States used Lodestars during the 1970s and 1980s.

Variants

;18-07 :Powered by two 875 hp Pratt & Whitney Hornet S1E2-G engines; 25 built plus two prototypes. ;18-08 :Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S1C3-G engines; 33 built. ;18-10 :Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S1C3-G engines; 39 built. ;18-14 :Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S4C4-G engines; four built. ;18-40 :Powered by two 1,200 hp Wright Cyclone G-1820-G104A engines; 26 built. ;18-50 :Powered by two 1,200hp Wright Cyclone G-1820-G202A engines; 13 built. ;18-56 :Powered by two 1,200hp Wright Cyclone GR-1820-G205A, R-1820-40 or R-1820-87 engines.

US Army Lodestars

;C-56 :Powered by 1,200 hp Wright 1820-89 engines, one Model 18-50 for evaluation.Andrade 1979, pp. 77–78. ;C-56A :One impressed Model 18-07 with two Pratt & Whitney R-1690-54 engines. ;C-56B :Thirteen impressed Model 18-40s with two Wright 1820-97 engines. ;C-56C :Twelve impressed Model 18-07. ;C-56D :Seven impressed Model 18-08. ;C-56E :Two Model 18-40s impressed in 1943. ;C-57 :As Model 18-14 powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-53 engines. ;C-57A :Allocated for impressed aircraft, not used. ;C-57B :Based on Model 18-08 fitted for trooping; seven aircraft built. ;C-57C :Repowered C-60A with Pratt & Whitney R-1830-51 engines; three aircraft converted. ;C-57D :Repowered C-57C with Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 engines; one aircraft converted. ;C-59 :Based on Model 18-07 powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1690-25 Hornet engines; 10 aircraft built, transferred to Royal Air Force as Lodestar IA. ;C-60 :Model 18-56 powered by Wright R-1820-87 engines; 36 aircraft built, some transferred to RAF as Lodestar II. ;C-60A :As the C-60 but fitted out as a paratroop transport powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines; 325 aircraft built. ;XC-60B :One C-60A fitted with experimental de-icing equipment. ;C-60C :Proposed 21-seat troop transport aircraft, never built. ;C-66 :Powered by Wright R-1820-87 engines; one aircraft built, 11-passenger interior for transfer to the Brazilian Air Force. ;C-104 :Original designation for C-60C

US Navy Lodestars

;XR5O-1 :One Model 18-07 acquired for evaluation powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-40 engines. ;R5O-1 :Staff transport powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-97 engines; three aircraft built, two for the USN and one for the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

. ;R5O-2 :Navy version of the C-59 powered by 850 hp (634 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1690-25 engines; one aircraft built. ;R5O-3 :Powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-34A engines. Originally 4-seater VIP transports; three aircraft built. ;R5O-4 :Powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-40 engines. Impressed. 7-seater staff transports; 12 aircraft built. ;R5O-5 :Navy version of the C-60 powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-40 engines. Similar to the R5O-4 but had 14-seats; 38 aircraft built and three former NEIAF aircraft. ;R5O-6 :Navy version of the C-60A for the

US Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

, equipped with 18 paratroop seats; 35 built.

Operators

Civil operators

; * Trans-Australia Airlines (TAA) - two, operated 1952–1953. ; *

SABENA The ''Societé anonyme belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation aérienne'' (French; ), better known by the acronym Sabena or SABENA, was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its ba ...

(mainly in Africa) ; *

Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano S.A.M. (abbreviated LAB and internationally known as LAB Airlines), was the flag carrier and principal airline of Bolivia from 1925 until it ceased operations in 2010. Before its demise it was headquartered in Cochabamba ...

(LAB) ; * Linhas Aéreas Wright * NAB – Navegação Aérea Brasileira *

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 ...

- 6 Model 18-10s delivered new. * SAVAG (Sociedade Anônima Viação Aérea Gaúcha) - Two Model 18-10s bought from Panair do Brasil. * Transportes Aéreos Universal * Viação Aérea Bahiana ; *

- 12 Model 18-10s delivered new.) * Yukon Southern Air Transport - Two Model 18-10s delivered new.) *

Canadian Pacific Air Lines Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986. Headquartered at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, it served domestic Canadian ...

(purchased Yukon Southern Air Transport in 1941) ; * Línea Aérea Nacional (LAN) (1943–1953) * CINTA Chilean Airlines (1953–1959) ; * Karhumäki Airways ; *

Air Afrique Air Afrique was a Pan-African airline, that was mainly owned by many West African countries for most of its history. It was established as the official transnational carrier for francophone West and Central Africa, because many of these countr ...

(the prewar airline, unrelated to the postwar airline of the same name) - Five Model 18-07s delivered new.) *

Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global a ...

- Three Model 18-07s delivered new. * Aero Africaine (part of Société Africaine des Transports Tropicaux (SATT), based in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

) ; * TACA Airways System ;, , and *

East African Airways East African Airways Corporation, more commonly known as East African Airways, was an airline jointly run by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It was set up on 1 January 1946, starting operations the same year. The airline was headquartered in the Sa ...

- Received six ex-BOAC Model 18-07s in 1948. ; *

Union Airways of New Zealand Union Airways of New Zealand Limited was New Zealand's first major airline. It was founded in 1935 by local shipping giant Union Company. Its services reached main centres from Auckland to Dunedin and extended to Gisborne and the West Coast of ...

(1945–1947) *

National Airways Corporation National Airways Corporation is a commercial aviation company with its head office on the grounds of Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company offers a range of products and services for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter mark ...

(post 1947) ; IWM-CNA3627 Lockheed 18 205212526

* Aero Portuguesa * DETA Mozambique Airways (serving Portugal's colony of

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

) ; * Caribbean-Atlantic Airlines ; * South African Airways Purchased 29 Model 18-08s from new. * Commercial Air Services operated two aircraft. ; *

Linjeflyg Linjeflyg was a Swedish domestic airline, formed in 1957 as a domestic subsidiary by Scandinavian Airlines System and Airtaco as well as by newspaper publishers Dagens Nyheter AB and Stockholms-Tidningen AB. History Airtaco (founded in August ...

(1957–1960) ; *

British West Indian Airways BWIA West Indies Airways Limited, known locally as "Bee-Wee" and also as British West Indian Airways and BWIA International, was the national airline based in Trinidad and Tobago. At the end of operations, BWIA was the largest airline operating o ...

; * BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) - Purchased nine, new-build, Model 18-07s supplemented by 29 second hand aircraft (Model 18-07, 18-10, 18-40, 18-50 C-59, C60 and C60A).) ; Lockheed 18 National Air Lines (5028200559)

Lockheed 18 National Air Lines (5028200559)

Continental Air Lines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

- Two Model 18-08s and three 18-10s delivered new. * Mid-Continent Airlines - Three Model 18-07s and one Model 18-10 delivered new. * National Airlines - Three Model 18-50s delivered new. *

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 ...

- Six Model 18-10s delivered new. *

United Air Lines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

- Four Model 18-10s delivered new. * Inland Air Lines - One Model 18-08 delivered new. *

Western Air Lines 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 ...

(purchased Inland Air Lines in 1944 and operated it as a separate division) *

Alaska Star Airlines Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

(renamed to

Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the num ...

in 1944) (one Model 18-56) ; *

Línea Aeropostal Venezolana Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela C.A. is a state-owned airline of Venezuela based in Torre Polar Oeste in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates domestic services and international services in the Caribbean. Its main base is Simón Bolívar International ...

(LAV) - One Model 18-10 delivered new.)

Military operators

; *

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

; * Brazilian Air Force (Seven × C-60A and one C-66) ; *

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

(18 × C-60A) ** No. 164 Squadron RCAF ** No. 165 Squadron RCAF ; *

Colombian Air Force , "We are the Force" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Colombian Air Force Hymn , mascot = Capitan Paz , anniversaries = 8 November , ...

(C-60 as VIP transport) ; * Haiti Air Corps ; *

;

Royal Air Force- Italy, the Balkans and South-east Europe, 1942-1945

Mexican Air Force The Mexican Air Force (FAM; es, Fuerza Aérea Mexicana) is the primary aerial warfare service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat ( SEDENA). The objective of ...

; *

Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force ( nl, Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL) was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1939 until ...

(20 Model 18-40s and nine Model 18-50s delivered) ; * Royal New Zealand Air Force ** No. 40 Squadron RNZAF **No. 41 Squadron RNZAF ; *

Norwegian Air Force The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) ( no, Luftforsvaret, , The Air Defence) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximatel ...

(Three delivered to the Norwegian government in exile) ; *

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

; *

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

; *

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

Accidents and incidents

Between 1941-1944, the

airline suffered 4 accidents involving the Lodestar which resulted in a total of 57 fatalities. In January 1943, Lockheed Lodestar Mk.II EW986,Record for ''EW986'' on ''lostaircraft.com''
/ref> c/n 2154, in the service of the

, overshot and crashed 3 km south of Heliopolis, Egypt. At least 12 crew members and passengers died in the crash. A cause of the accident was not determined. Among those killed were Air Vice-Marshal Wilfred Ashton McClaughry, CB, DSO, MC, DFC and Lady Rosalinde Tedder née MacLardy, wife of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, GCB. In 1949, a Lockheed Lodestar in airline service in Australia crashed immediately after takeoff. All 21 occupants died in the crash or the ensuing

conflagration A conflagration is a large fire. Conflagrations often damage human life, animal life, health, and/or property. A conflagration can begin accidentally, be naturally caused (wildfire), or intentionally created (arson). A very large fire can produc ...

. The cause of the accident was determined to be that the center of gravity was behind the rear limit. It is also likely the elevator

trim tab Trim tabs are small surfaces connected to the trailing edge of a larger control surface on a boat or aircraft, used to control the trim of the controls, i.e. to counteract hydro- or aerodynamic forces and stabilise the boat or aircraft in a pa ...

was set for landing rather than takeoff. On March 22, 1958,

Mike Todd Michael Todd (born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen; June 22, 1909 – March 22, 1958) was an American theater and film producer, best known for his 1956 production of '' Around the World in 80 Days'', which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Act ...

's private plane Lucky Liz, named after his wife Elizabeth Taylor, crashed near Grants, New Mexico. The plane, a twin-engine Lockheed Lodestar, suffered engine failure while being flown overloaded, in icing conditions at too-high an altitude for the loading. The plane went out of control and crashed, killing all four on board. On September 4, 1962, a Lockheed 18-56-24 Lodestar operated by the Ashland Oil and Refining Company crashed near Lake Milton, Ohio. The flight was in-route to Ashland Regional Airport (KDWU) from Buffalo Airport, NY. Eleven passengers and two crew-members were killed. Investigation determined the crash a result of a malfunction of the electric elevator

, which caused the loss of the plane's right wing during flight. On August 21, 1983, a Lockheed L-18 LEARStar operated by Landry Aviation, Inc. crashed near Silvana, Washington. The flight was a planned parachute drop carrying two pilots and 22 parachutists. Nine parachutists and two crew-members were killed while 13 were able to parachute to safety after the pilots lost control and entered a vertical descent from 12,500 feet. Investigation determined the crash a result of a failure of the operator and pilot-in-command to assure proper load distribution during the parachute drop.

Surviving aircraft

Brazil

* FAB 2006 – C-60A on static display at the

Museu Aeroespacial Museu Aeroespacial is a national aviation museum located in the West Side of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the Administrative Region of Realengo. The place is known as "the Brazilian Aviation cradle".Ogden (2008) Address Av. Marechal Fontenelle, 2000 ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

Canada

* c/n 18-2064 – L18-08 under restoration by students at the Aerospace Centre of the

University of the Fraser Valley The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), formerly known as University College of the Fraser Valley and Fraser Valley College, is a Canadian public university with campuses in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission and Hope, British Columbia. Founde ...

for static display at the

Canadian Museum of Flight The Canadian Museum of Flight (formally the Canadian Museum of Flight Association since 1998) is an aviation museum at the Langley Regional Airport in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. The museum has over 25 civilian and military jets, pisto ...

. It was previously on display at the Victory Air Museum in

Mundelein, Illinois Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and a northern suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 31,560. It is approximately thirty-five miles northwest of Chicago. History The community now known as M ...

. * c/n 18-2220 – L18-08 in storage at the

Reynolds-Alberta Museum The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is an agricultural, industrial, and transportation museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada. The museum is situated on an property containing the main museum building, an aviation display hangar, and its storage facility. ...

Wetaskiwin, Alberta Wetaskiwin ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word ''wītaskiwinihk'', meaning "the hills where peace was made". Wetaskiwin is ...

. It was previously registered as CF-TDB.

Finland

* c/n 18-2006 – L18-56 on static display at the

Finnish Aviation Museum The Finnish Aviation Museum ( fi, Suomen ilmailumuseo, sv, Finlands flygmuseum) is a museum specialising in aircraft, located near Helsinki Airport in Veromies, Vantaa, Finland. History The Aviation Museum Society ( fi, Ilmailumuseoyhdistys ry) ...

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...

. It was previously registered as OH-VKU, N9955F, N9965F, and F-ARTF.

New Zealand

* c/n 18-2020 – C-60 on static display at the

Museum of Transport and Technology The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) is a science and technology museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand. It is located close to the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland Zoo and the Western Springs Park. The museum has l ...

in Western Springs, Auckland. It was built for United Airlines in October 1940 and registered as NC25630. It was impressed into United States Army Air Forces with the serial number 42-53504. In September 1941 it was transferred to the Royal Air Force as AX756. Next, it was operated as G-AGCN by the British Overseas Airways Corporation in East Africa. After serving with the Spanish Air Force, it was sold back to the United States where it was registered as N9933F. Sold again to FieldAir in either 1957 or 1958 it was converted to an aerial topdresser and given the registration ZK-BVE. It was damaged in a wheels up landing in 1969. * c/n 18-2152 – C-60 under restoration with the Gisborne Aviation Preservation Society in Gisborne, Gisborne. It was previously operated by the Royal Air Force as EW984 and Spanish Air Force. Sold to civilian ownership, it was first registered in the United States as N9930F in 1955. It was converted to an aerial topdresser by Fieldair in 1957 and registered as ZK-BUV. It was a gate guardian at Gisborne Airport from 1973 to 1998. * c/n 18-2388 – L18-56 on static display at the National Transport and Toy Museum in Wānaka, Otago.

Norway

* c/n 18-2444 – C-60A on static display with the

Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection (''Forsvarets flysamling Gardermoen'') is a military aviation museum located at Gardermoen, north of Oslo in Viken county, Norway. The founding of the Norwegian Aviation Historical Society in 1967, gave t ...

Gardermoen Oslo Airport ( no, Oslo lufthavn; ), alternatively referred to as Oslo Gardermoen Airport or simply Gardermoen, is the international airport serving Oslo, Norway, the capital and most populous city in the country. A hub for Flyr, Norse Atla ...

South Africa

* c/n 18-2026 – L18-08 on static display at the South African Airways Museum in

Germiston, Gauteng Germiston, also known as kwaDukathole, is a small city in the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa, administratively forming part of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since the latter's establishment in 2000. It functions as ...

. It was previously operated by South African Airways as ZS-ASN.

Sweden

* c/n 18-0056 – L18-56 on static display at the Flygsamlingar Arlanda in Märsta, Stockholm.

United States

* c/n 18-2035 – XC-60B on static display at the

Castle Air Museum Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located in Atwater, California, United States adjacent to Castle Airport, a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base which was closed in 1995, after the end of the Cold War. It ...

at the former

Castle Air Force Base Castle Air Force Base (Castle AFB, 1941–1995) is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base in California, located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced, and about south of Sacramento. The Central Valley base in u ...

Atwater, California Atwater is a city on State Route 99 in Merced County, California, United States. Atwater is west-northwest of Merced, at an elevation of . The population as of the 2020 census was 31,970, up from 28,168 in 2010. Geography Atwater is in northe ...

. * c/n 18-2404 – R5O-5 airworthy with Lawrence E. Hill of Marion, Montana. * c/n 18-2302 – C-60 on display at the

1940 Air Terminal Museum The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is a museum located in Houston, Texas, United States, at William P. Hobby Airport. Collections are housed in the original art deco building which served as the first purpose-built terminal for passenger flight in Hous ...

in Houston, Texas. It has been converted for use as an executive aircraft. * c/n 18-2347 – C-60 in storage in

Corinth, Mississippi Corinth is a city in and the county seat of Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,573 at the 2010 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with Tennessee. History Corinth was founded i ...

. * c/n 18-6124 – L18-56 airworthy with Chris Galloway of

Knights Landing, California Knights Landing (formerly, Baltimore and East Grafton) is a census-designated place in Yolo County, California, United States, founded by William Knight. It is located on the Sacramento River around 25 miles northwest of Sacramento in the northeas ...

. * 41-19729 – C-56 on static display at the Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center at

Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, California ...

near

Fairfield, California Fairfield is a city in and the county seat of Solano County, California, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay sub-region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco ...

. * 42-32181 – C-60 on static display at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in

Chino, California Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chi ...

. * 42-55884 – C-60A airworthy with Gary Hilton of

Kingsville, Missouri Kingsville is a city in west central Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 245 at the 2020 census. History Kingsville was platted in 1856. The community was named for General William King, a first settler. A post office ca ...

. * 42-56005 – C-60A airworthy with the Houston Wing of the

Commemorative Air Force The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at airshows, primarily in the U.S. and Canada. The CAF h ...

in Houston, Texas. * 42-56036 – C-60A airworthy with the Mid America Flight Museum in

Mount Pleasant, Texas Mount Pleasant is the county seat of and largest city in Titus County, Texas, Titus County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, Mount Pleasant's population was 16,047; it is situated in Northeast Texas. ...

. * 43-16445 – C-60A on static display at the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wr ...

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. * 43-16462 – C-60A on static display at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California. * 12473 – R5O-5 on static display at the

March Field Air Museum The March Field Air Museum is an aviation museum near Moreno Valley and Riverside, California, adjacent to March Air Reserve Base. History The museum was founded in 1979 as March Air Force Base Museum. One of the first exhibits at the museum was ...

at March Air Reserve Base (former

March Air Force Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's ...

) in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

. * 12481 – R5O-5 on static display at the

Pima Air & Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m²) on a campus oc ...

adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

Uruguay

* c/n 18-2349 – C-60 on static display at the Museo Aeronáutico Jaime Meregalli at Carrasco Airport near Montevideo. It was seized as a smuggler in the 1980s.

Specifications (C-60A-5)

Lockheed R5O-3 Lodestar 3-view line drawing

Notes

Bibliography

* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serial, since 1909. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. . * . * Stanaway, John C. ''Vega Ventura: The Operational Story of Lockheed's Lucky Star''. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2000. . * * Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66''. London: Sampson Low, Marston, 1965.

External links

* {{Authority control Aircraft first flown in 1939 Lodestar Low-wing aircraft 1930s United States airliners 1930s United States military transport aircraft World War II transport aircraft of the United States Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Twin-tail aircraft