Lockheed Air Express

Air Express

Role	Passenger and Mail transport
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed
First flight	April 1928
Number built	8
Developed from	Lockheed Vega

The Lockheed Air Express was the second aircraft design created by the Lockheed Aircraft Company after its founding in 1927; the type first flew in April 1928.^[1]

Description

The Air Express design incorporated the original fuselage of the Vega, but in order to meet the requirements of Western Air Express, 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 engine was fitted to ease operations over the Sierra Nevada mountains.^[2] 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.

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 radial piston engine; seven built.
Air Express Special: One-off version built for Laura Ingalls, for a non-stop trans-Atlantic flight in 1931; one built.

Operators

Brazil

Panair do Brasil

United States

Specifications

Data from Lockheed Aircraft since 1913 ^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 4 passengers or 100 cu ft (2.8m³) mail
Length: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft 6 in (12.95 m)
Height: 8 ft 4.5 in (2.553 m)
Wing area: 288 sq ft (26.8 m²)
Empty weight: 2,533 lb (1,149 kg)
Gross weight: 4,375 lb (1,984 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp C , 420 hp (310 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 176 mph (283 km/h; 153 kn) (with NACA cowling)
Cruise speed: 151 mph (131 kn; 243 km/h)
Range: 750 mi (652 nmi; 1,207 km)
Service ceiling: 17,250 ft (5,258 m)
Rate of climb: 1,460 ft/min (7.4 m/s)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lockheed Air Express.

Notes

↑ Francillon 1982, p.85.
↑ Francillon 1982, pp. 84–85.
↑ Francillon 1982, p.89.

Bibliography

Francillon, René J. Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. London:Putnam, First edition, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30329-6.
Francillon, René J, Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. Naval Institute Press: Annapolis, 1987.

Lockheed and Lockheed Martin aircraft

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Military transports	C-69 Constellation C-121 Constellation C-130 Hercules C-130J Super Hercules DC-130 HC-130 KC-130 LC-130 MC-130 C-141 Starlifter C-5 Galaxy R6V Constitution Tristar (RAF)

Attack and bombers	YP-24 Hudson XB-30 Ventura AC-130 A-4AR Fightinghawk F-117 Nighthawk Have Blue FB-22

Drones/UAVs	AQM-60 Kingfisher D-21 Desert Hawk Desert Hawk III MQM-105 Aquila Polecat RQ-3 Darkstar RQ-170 Sentinel

EW and reconnaissance	YO-3 EC-121 Warning Star EC-130 EC-130H Compass Call WC-130 EP-3 U-2 TR-X A-12 SR-71 Blackbird SR-72

Fighters	XFM-2 YP-24 P-38 Lightning XP-49 XP-58 Chain Lightning P-80 Shooting Star XF-90 F-94 Starfire F-104 Starfighter variants YF-12 F-16 Fighting Falcon F-22 Raptor YF-22 F-35 Lightning II

Helicopters	CL-475 XH-51 AH-56 Cheyenne VH-71 Kestrel

Maritime patrol	P-2 Neptune P-3 Orion P-7 S-3 Viking CP-140 Aurora

Trainers	T-33 T2V SeaStar

Experimental	L-133 NF-104A Senior Peg Senior Prom XC-35 XF-104 XV-4 Hummingbird X-7 X-17 X-26B Frigate CL-1200 Lancer X-33 X-35 X-44 X-55 X-56 XFV QueSST

Other	Air Express Big Dipper Model 44 Excalibur Explorer Little Dipper

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