On 23rd February 1934, Lockheed Model 10 Electra airliner performed its first flight. The aircraft was flown by Marshall E. Headle, an American test pilot known for his cooperation with Lockheed Aircraft, and who participated in most of the company´s projects developed in the 1930s and the 1940s.
Detailed history of the Model 10, including its development and operational service can be find in our article from the Photo of the Week series, issued in March of 2022. It was then we introduced an airworthy example of the L-10A Electra, which is being based at Točna Airport, in the Czech Republic.
History of the Model 10 is also inseparably linked to the famous American aviatrix and aviation pioneer, Amelia Earhart. It was exactly the Electra she had chosen for her round-the-world flight in the late 1930s. More information about Earhart and her pioneering flights can be found here, in our article from March of 2023.
Nevertheless, when speaking about Earhart, a sensational news that was released just a few weeks ago must be mentioned. At the end of January 2024, the sea exploration company Deep Sea Vision (DSV) announced that its sonar detected an aircraft-shape object, sitting at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. According to the company, it is highly likely that the aeroplane they found is in fact the Earhart´s Electra that remains missing since its disappearance in 1937.
It is important to note that the discovery was not accidental. In search for the Earhart´s aircraft, the DSV company followed the so-called ´Date line theory´ formed in 2010 by Liz Smith. The company´s expedition lasted about 100 days, during which approximately 13,400 square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean bottom was searched.
The DSV is the South Carolina-based marine robotics company founded and led by Romeo brothers. Tony Romeo, CEO of the company, is a former USAF F-16 pilot and intelligence officer, while Lloyd Romeo is an active private pilot. In 2021, Tony decided to sell his real estate business and created the DSV company. Searching for the Amelia Earhart aircraft is one of the main projects the DSV is currently developing.
