On 23 February 1934, the Lockheed Model 10 Electra passenger aircraft, flown by test pilot Marshall E. Headle, performed its maiden flight.
The Model 10 was not only the first all-metal aircraft developed by Lockheed, but also its first twin-engine aeroplane. The airliner was designed by Lloyd Stearman and Hail Hibbard, and its aerodynamics were later refined by Clarence Johnson, who was then working at the University of Michigan. The new aircraft was named “Electra”, after a star in the Pleiades, and was officially designated the Lockheed Model 10.
Within a few months, the airliner received its type certification and had quickly attracted its first customers. One of them was Northwest Airliners, the company that operated the first commercial flight with the Lockheed Model 10 in August 1934, on the Chicago–St Paul route. Shortly afterwards, in October of the same year, the US government banned single-engine aircraft from operating night passenger flights, which further increased interest in the Electra.
Those who decided to purchase the Model 10 were not disappointed. The Electra proved to be a reliable and well-designed aircraft, appreciated by airlines, pilots and passengers alike. The aeroplane was acquired by several American and foreign operators, including LOT Polish Airlines, Aeroput (Yugoslavia), LARES (Romania), British Airways and Cubana de Aviación.
The Electra was operated by more than thirty airlines and eight air forces worldwide. A total of 149 aircraft were produced in four variants.
In addition, the Model 10 became a favoured aircraft of entrepreneurs and wealthy, high-profile individuals — effectively serving as the equivalent of today’s executive jets. Among its owners were Indian maharajas, newspaper publisher W. R. Hearst and Jan Antonín Baťa, the Czech “King of Shoes”.
The Model 10E Electra was also used by Amelia Earhart, the famous aviation pioneer. In July 1937, she disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to circumnavigate the globe with her Electra.
More information about the Electra can be also found in our previous articles: Lockheed L-10A Electra, 23 February 1934 – maiden flight of Lockheed Model 10 Electra and 17 March 1937 – Amelia Earhart´s first attempt to circumnavigate the world.
