1929 Lockheed Air Express Airplane
1929 Lockheed Air Express Airplane Scale 1/43
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. The Air Express was based around 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. The design was a commercial success for the company although only seven were built between 1928 and 1931.
Variants
Lockheed 3 Air Express
Single-engined passenger and mail transport aircraft, seating between four to 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-Altantic flight in 1931; one built.
Specifications
General characteristics
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. The Air Express was based around 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. The design was a commercial success for the company although only seven were built between 1928 and 1931.
Variants
Lockheed 3 Air Express
Single-engined passenger and mail transport aircraft, seating between four to 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-Altantic flight in 1931; one built.
Specifications
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: 1,149 lb (521 kg)
- Gross weight: 4,375 lb (1,984 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp C , 420 hp (310 kW)
- 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)