
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra is an American twin-engined monoplane airliner produced primarily in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The Lockheed Electra was one of the first commercial passenger aircraft with retractable landing gear. The Model 10 was produced in five variants with a total of 149 aircraft built between August 1934 and July 1941. The first flight of the Lockheed 10A took place on 23 February 1934.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Years of Production | 1934-1941 |
| Number Produced | 149 |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Aircraft Corporation |
| Place of Manufacture | Burbank, California |
| Variants | 10-A, 10-B, 10-E |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passenger Capacity | 10 |
| First Flight | 23 February 1934 |
| Notable Operators | Amelia Earhart, Ann Pellegreno, Canadian Airways, Trans-Canada Air Lines |
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What You'll Learn
- The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was designed in the early 1930s
- It was produced primarily in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247
- The Electra was produced in several variants for both civilian and military customers
- The Lockheed Electra 10E was flown by Amelia Earhart in 1937
- The Lockheed 10A was Lockheed's first all-metal design

The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was designed in the early 1930s
The design of the Lockheed Model 10 Electra can be traced back to wind-tunnel work undertaken at the University of Michigan. Notably, much of this work was performed by a student assistant, Kelly Johnson, who would go on to become the chief engineer at Lockheed. Johnson suggested two changes to the design: changing the single tail to double tails (a suggestion that came to be a Lockheed trademark) and deleting oversized wing fillets. The first flight of the Lockheed 10A took place on 23 February 1934, and the aircraft was produced from 1934 to 1941.
In 1936, Amelia Earhart purchased a new Lockheed 10-E Electra, which she named the "Flying Laboratory" because it was meant to be used as a test bed for new equipment. Earhart's aircraft was manufactured by the Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California. She chose the Lockheed Electra for her around-the-world flight, during which she went missing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was produced in several variants for both civilian and military customers. A total of 149 Electras were built, with five variants of the Model 10 produced. The Model 10-A was later converted to the higher-performance 10-E configuration, with more powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines.
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It was produced primarily in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was produced primarily in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2 airliners, which were revolutionising commercial airlines at the time. The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was one of the first commercial passenger aircraft with retractable landing gear and mudguards as standard equipment. The aircraft was designed by Lloyd Stearman and Hall Hibbard and was Lockheed's first all-metal and twin-engined aircraft. The name "Electra" comes from a star in the Pleiades. The prototype first flew on February 23, 1934, with Marshall Headle at the controls.
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was well-positioned in the market as it was a twin-engined aircraft, and in October 1934, the US government banned single-engined aircraft from carrying passengers or flying at night. The aircraft was produced in several variants for both civilian and military customers, with a total of 149 Electras built between August 1934 and July 1941. The standard configuration of the aircraft included a crew of two or three and could carry up to 10 passengers. The Model 10 Electra gained considerable fame after being flown by Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan on their ill-fated around-the-world expedition in 1937.
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The Electra was produced in several variants for both civilian and military customers
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was produced in several variants for both civilian and military customers. The aircraft was first flown in February 1934, and a total of 149 were built between August 1934 and July 1941.
The Model 10 Electra was an all-metal, twin-engine, low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear, designed as a small, medium-range airliner. It was produced in five variants, including the 10A and 10E, with the latter featuring more powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines. The 10E was also the variant chosen by Amelia Earhart for her around-the-world flight in 1937. Lockheed built fifteen Model 10Es, and Earhart's was serial number 1055.
The Electra was one of the first commercial passenger aircraft with retractable landing gear to come equipped with mudguards as standard. It gained considerable fame after being flown by Earhart and Fred Noonan on their ill-fated around-the-world expedition in 1937. The aircraft was also used by several European operators before World War II, and variants of the Electra saw service globally during the war.
The Electra was later developed into the P-3 Orion, an advanced maritime patrol aircraft for the US Navy. The Model 188 Electra, a low-wing cantilever monoplane, was the first P-3 Orion prototype. It featured retractable tricycle landing gear and a conventional tail, and could carry 66 to 80 passengers in a mixed-class arrangement. The Argentine Navy bought three Electras in 1973, and several South American airlines operated the aircraft with great success.
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The Lockheed Electra 10E was flown by Amelia Earhart in 1937
The Lockheed Electra 10E is an American twin-engined monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was produced primarily in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The aircraft gained considerable fame after being flown by Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan on their ill-fated expedition to circumnavigate the globe in 1937.
Amelia Earhart is perhaps the most famous female pilot in history, known for her aviation career and mysterious disappearance. On May 20-21, 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean non-stop. She also made the first solo, non-stop flight by a woman across the United States, setting multiple records.
Earhart purchased a new Lockheed 10-E Electra in 1936 with funds from the Purdue Research Foundation. The aircraft, dubbed the ""Flying Laboratory,"" was intended to serve as a testbed for new equipment. However, Earhart's true intention was to fly it around the world. On May 21, 1937, she and navigator Fred Noonan embarked on their journey from Oakland, California, travelling east in the twin-engine Electra.
The Lockheed Electra 10E flown by Earhart underwent several modifications, including the addition of four auxiliary fuel tanks in the passenger compartment, the installation of a navigator's station, the removal of passenger windows, and the integration of a Sperry autopilot, advanced radio and navigation equipment, and additional batteries. The aircraft had flown 181 hours and 17 minutes since its construction and underwent repairs at the Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California, in May 1937.
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The Lockheed 10A was Lockheed's first all-metal design
The Lockheed 10A, also known as the Lockheed Model 10 Electra, was Lockheed's first all-metal design. It was a small twin-engine transport aircraft that could carry a crew of two and up to 10 passengers. The 10A was developed in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2, which were revolutionizing commercial airlines at the time. The 10A offered excellent cruising speed, superb takeoff and landing capabilities, two-way controllable propellers, electrically driven flaps, hydraulic brakes, and dual flight controls.
The design of the 10A was influenced by Kelly Johnson, who was a student assistant at the University of Michigan. Johnson suggested changing the single tail to double tails, which later became a Lockheed trademark, and deleting oversized wing fillets. The 10A was produced in several variants, including the 10E, which gained considerable fame after being flown by Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan on their ill-fated around-the-world expedition in 1937.
The Lockheed 10A was used by a number of airlines in the United States and abroad. In 1936, two Lockheed 10As were flown by Canadian Airways on the Vancouver-Seattle route, becoming Canada's first modern airliners. During World War II, several 10As were acquired by the RCAF and later sold to private operators. The 10A was also popular as a private plane for royalty in Asia and Europe, with several Indian Maharajas purchasing them for personal use in 1937.
The 10A was eventually converted to the higher-performance 10E configuration, with more powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines. However, by the end of the war, the Electra design was obsolete, although some smaller airlines and charter services continued to operate Electras into the 1970s. A total of 149 Electras were built between August 1934 and July 1941.
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Frequently asked questions
The first flight of the Lockheed 10A took place on February 23, 1934.
The last Lockheed Electra E10 was built in July 1941.
Lockheed built a total of 149 Electras, including 15 Model 10Es.
The Lockheed Electra E10 was designed in the early 1930s by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.
The Lockheed Electra E10 was designed to compete with the Douglas DC-2 and Boeing 247 airliners.











































