Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar
The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era.
Design and development
The prototype of the Lockheed Model 18, which first flew in 1939, was constructed from one of a batch of Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras which had been returned to the manufacturer by Northwest Airlines after a series of crashes of Model 14s. The fuselage was lengthened by 5 ft (1.5 m), enabling the fitting of two more rows of seats and hopefully making the aircraft more economical to operate. However, most US airlines were by then committed to purchasing the Douglas DC-3, and Lockheed found the Lodestar difficult to sell at home.
A total of 625 Lodestars of all variants were built.
Operational history
Overseas sales were a little better, with 29 bought by the government of the Netherlands East Indies. South African Airways (21), Trans-Canada Air Lines (12) and BOAC (9) were the biggest airline customers. Various Pratt & Whitney and Wright Cyclone powerplants were installed.
When the United States 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 Army Air Force as the C-60 and U.S. Navy as the R5O. Lend-lease aircraft were used by the RNZAF as transports.
One bought in 1942 to serve as Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas' personal aircraft. This aircraft was specially designed for that purpose and had 11 seats.
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's Learstar (produced by PacAero), and Howard Aero's Howard 250.[2] A few of the latter were even converted to tricycle undercarriage.
Many of the New Zealand aircraft were later used for aerial topdressing.
A single Lodestar served with the Israeli Air Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
A number of skydiving operations in the United States used Lodestars during the 1970s and 1980s.
Survivors
Around 10-15 are still airworthy in the USA alone. An example of a Lodestar converted for commercial use exists at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum in Houston, Texas.
Variants
- 18-07
- Powered by two 875 hp Pratt & Whitney Hornet S1E2-G engines; 25 built plus two prototypes.[1]
- 18-08
- Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S1C3-G engines; 33 built.[1]
- 18-10
- Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S1C3-G engines; 39 built.[1]
- 18-14
- Powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S4C4-G engines; four built.[1]
- 18-40
- Powered by two 1,200 hp Wright Cyclone G-1820-G104A engines; 26 built.[1]
- 18-50
- Powered by two 1200hp Wright Cyclone G-1820-G202A engines; 13 built.[1]
US Army Lodestars
- C-56
- Powered by 1,200 hp Wright 1820-89 engines, one Model 18-50 for evaluation.[3]
- C-56A
- One impressed Model 18-07 with two Pratt & Whitney R-1690-54 engines.[3]
- C-56B
- Thirteen impressed Model 18-40s with two Wright 1820-97 engines.[3]
- C-56C
- Twelve impressed Model 18-07.[3]
- C-56D
- Seven impressed Model 18-08.[3]
- C-56E
- Two Model 18-40s impressed in 1943.[3]
- C-57
- As Model 18-14 powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-53 engines.[3]
- C-57A
- Allocated for impressed aircraft, not used.[3]
- C-57B
- Based on Model 18-08 fitted for trooping; seven aircraft built.[3]
- C-57C
- Repowered C-60A with Pratt & Whitney R-1830-51 engines; three aircraft converted.[3]
- C-57D
- Repowered C-57C with Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 engines; one aircraft converted.[3]
- 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.[3]
- XC-60B
- One C-60A fitted with experimental de-icing equipment.[3]
- 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.[3]
- 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.[3]
- 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.
- 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.[3]
- R5O-6
- Navy version of the C-60A for the US Marine Corps, equipped with 18 paratroop seats; 35 built.[3]
Operators
Civil operators
- Australia
- Belgium
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Finland
- France
- Air Afrique (the prewar airline, unrelated to the postwar airline of the same name) (Five Model 18-07s delivered new[1])
- Air France (Three Model 18-07s delivered new[1])
- Aero Africaine (part of Société Africaine des Transports Tropicaux (SATT), based in Algeria)
- Honduras
- Kenya, Tanganyika, and Uganda
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- South Africa
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Kingdom
- BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) (Nine Model 18-07s delivered new[1])
- United States
- Venezuela
Military operators
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Colombia
- Haiti
- Israel
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
- United States
Accidents and incidents
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. 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 was set for landing rather than takeoff.[4]
Specifications (C-60A-5)
Data from Lockheed Aircraft since 1913[5]
General characteristics
Performance
- Maximum speed: 266 mph (231 knots, 428 km/h) at 17,150 ft (5,230 m)
- Cruise speed: 200 mph (174 knots, 322 km/h)
- Range: 2,500 mi (2,174 nmi, 4,025 km)
- Service ceiling: 25,400 ft (7,740 m)
- Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 6.6 minutes
Armament
none
See also
- Related development
- Related lists
References
- Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Francillon 1982, pp. 185–194, 488–489.
- ^ Taylor 1965, p. 244.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Andrade 1979, pp. 77–78.
- ^ Job, Macarthur. "Horror at Coolangatta." Flight Safety Australia, via casa.gov.au, November–December 1999, p. 47. Retrieved: December 5, 2011.
- ^ Francillon 1982, p. 194.
- Bibliography
- Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
- Francillon, René J. Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. London: Putnam & Company, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30329-6.
- Stanaway, John C. Vega Ventura: The Operational Story of Lockheed's Lucky Star. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2000. ISBN 0-7643-0087-3.
- Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66. London: Sampson Low, Marston, 1965.
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