Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Light twin-engine commercial transport

Power Plant:

Two 328 kw (440 hp) Wright R-975-E3 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

Designed in 1934 as a ten/twelve seat commercial airliner for airlines in the United States, the Lockheed 10 became a very successful aircraft until the advent of the larger Douglas DC-3. The prototype was first flown on 23 February 1934 and the type entered service with Northwest Airlines on 11 August that year. To meet the requirements of the various airlines, several basic versions were produced.  The 10A had two Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB Wasp Junior engines of 336 kw (450 hp) each; the 10B with the Wright R975-E3; and the 10C with the 336 kw (450 hp) Pratt & Whitney S3H1 engines.  In service with the United States military it became known as the C-36 with the US Navy, and C-37 with the US Coast Guard.   A total of 149 Lockheed 10s was completed.

Nine Lockheed 10s have been registered in Australia, Brown & Dureau Pty Ltd being the local importers. Operators have included Ansett Airways with: Model 10B VH-UZN (c/n 1106 – Ansirius) destroyed by fire at Essendon, VIC on 28 February 1939; Model 10B VH-UZO (c/n 1107 – Ansertes); and Model 10B VH–UZP (c/n 1109 – Ansalanta) which crashed near Virginia, SA on 16 May 1946.

Guinea Airways operated: Model 10A VH-UXH  (c/n 1060 – C J Levien) which, after ten years service, was exported to New Zealand as ZK-ALH. Model 10A VH-UXI  (c/n 1105 – Moresby) which crashed at Darwin, was destroyed by fire on 18 December 1939; and Model 10A VH-AAU (c/n 1108 – Salamaua) later being exported to New Zealand as ZK-ALI which had a similar history to ZK-ALH, being broken up at Palmerston.

Qantas operated: Model 10A VH-AEC (c/n 1034 – Islander) which crashed near Condamine, Qld on 11 February 1949. MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co operated: Model 10A VH-ABV (c/n 1130 – RMA Gascoyne) and Model 10A VH-ABW (c/n 1131 – RMA Kimberley). The MacRobertson Miller aircraft were shipped to Port Adelaide and assembled at Parafield.  VH-ABW was the first flown to Western Australia, the undercarriage of VH-ABV having collapsed prior to take-off necessitating repairs. They entered service on the Perth – Darwin route with 12 landing stops en-route.  By 1942 they had been camouflaged, with olive drab on the upper surfaces and fuselage sides.  They had their share of accidents, and in October 1948 the registration of VH-ABV was changed to VH-MMD. In February 1954 it was sold to Phelan Aircraft Materials of Burbank, California and is believed to survive as N19HL in Florida.

Probably one of the most famous Lockheed 10s was that flown by American aviatrix, Amelia Mary Earhart.  This aircraft, a Model 10E (NR16020), had 410 kw (550 hp) Pratt & Whitney S3H1 engines and was modified to take extra fuel tanks, giving a capacity of 4,356.5 litres (958 Imp gals) giving it a theoretical range of 6,437 km (4,000 miles) at a cruising speed of 233 km/h (145 mph) at 1,219 m (4,000 ft).  Many articles and books have been written about Amelia Earhart’s attempt to fly around the world in this aircraft.

With Frederick J Noonan as navigator, the aircraft left Oakland Airport, California and flew to Miami via Venezuela, then to Paramaribo in Dutch Guinea and on to Brazil, leaving for Brazil on 6 June 1937.   On 7 June a flight of 3,058 km (1,900 miles) was made across the south Atlantic to Senegal  and then across Africa, arriving in Karachi, Pakistan on 15 June.  The flight continued through the Dutch East Indies and on 27 June arrived at Koepang in Timor.  On 27 June 1937 the aircraft landed at Darwin, NT.  On 30 June the aircraft flew to New Guinea, landing on an airfield at the end of the Markham River overlooking Huon Gulf.  The next point of call was to be Howland Island, some 4,113 km (2,556 miles) away in the Pacific.  However, the aircraft and its crew were never seen again.  Over the years a number of expeditions have attempted to locate the aircraft.

In 1997 an American, Linda Finch, of San Antonia, Texas re-enacted the Earhart flight, commencing at Oakland, California and travelling across the United States, Middle East and Asia, stopping in Darwin on 8 May 1997, proceeding across New Guinea to Howland Island and on to Honolulu.  The aircraft used was a Lockheed 10E (NX72GT – c/n 1015).

One Lockheed 10 survives in Australia.   This aircraft has had a long and interesting history.  As c/n 1107 it was imported by Ansett Airways and registered in August 1937 as VH-UZO being named “Ansirious”.  For a period in 1942 it was leased by the USAAF, but was returned to Ansett which operated the aircraft for a few more years.  It subsequently had a number of owners, including South Coast Airways in 1951; Christey’s Motors in August 1953, with which the registration was changed to VH-CMA; and Western Air Navigation in October 1958, when the registration was again changed, this time to VH-WAO.  Then in July 1960 C H Degotari, a land developer, owned the aircraft and it became VH-CHD.  Finally in December 1962 Marshall Airways at Bankstown, NSW used it for charter work and joy rides as VH-ASM.  Eventually it was withdrawn from service and was stored in the open deteriorating until 1981 when it was obtained by Mr L Ogle who restored it to its original new condition as VH-UZO, it being regularly seen around aviation events in the eastern states.

In 2000 it was painted as G-AFTL for the film The Last Plane out of Berlin to represent the Lockheed 12 used by Sidney Cotton to clandestinally photograph Germany and Italy in 1939.  In 2003 it was retired and placed on display at the Museum of Flight at Nowra, NSW.  In 2006 some efforts were made to export the aircraft but it was eventually sold in Australia.  Later in 2006 the museum reverted to be the Fleet Air Arm Museum and it was understood the Lockheed 10 would be transferred to the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown.  Then there was some thought it would be transferred to the HARS Museum at Albion Park, NSW but in June 2019 it was dismantled, placed on a low loader and conveyed to the RAAF Amberley Heritage Centre where it has been placed on display.

The Lockheed 10 was the first all-metal airliner to see service in New Zealand.  In June 1937 a Lockheed 10 inaugurated the first Auckland – Wellington air service and by late 1938 all the Union Airways main routes were operated by the type.  Later, in 1947, the NZ National Airways Corp (NAC) acquired Union Airways, retiring the last three Electras in May 1950.  During the World War II years the type maintained the trunk routes throughout the country.

Seven Model 10As appeared on the New Zealand civil register, being ZK-AFC (c/n 1092), ZK-AFD (c/n 1095 – Kuaka), ZK-AGJ (c/n 1127 – Kahu), ZK-AGK (c/n 1128 – Kaka), ZK-ALH (c/n 1060 – Koreke), ZK-ALI (c/n 1108 – Koweka) and ZK-BUT (c/n 1138 – Spirit of Tasman Bay).  Two of these survive at Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).  ZK-AFD (c/n 1095) was purchased in 1937 by Union Airways, arriving on the Limerick in May 1937 and first flew on 3 June 1937 but crashed at Flagstaff Hill, Dunedin on 5 February 1943.  It was repaired at Taiaeri and flew again on 11 August 1943.  It later served with NAC until retirement, when it was sold for scrap in 1950.  Ownership passed to Rural Aviation Ltd of New Plymouth on 26 April 1951 and it was flown to Palmerston North on 13 September 1951 but was retired the following day and eventually went to the MOTAT museum.  It is at present in the transport pavilion at Western Springs with the fuselage cut out to display the interior.

The worst accident of the type was ZK-AGK, at the time operated by NAC, which on 23 October 1948 crashed at the base of Mount Ruapehu on the north island with the loss of the crew of two and eleven passengers.  After assembly at Rongotai it flew on 6 october 1938, ownership being transferred to NZNAC on 1 April 1947.  ZK-AGJ crashed on 19 April 1948 into Tauranga harbour in a storm and was written off.

Other New Zealand Lockheed 10s were: ZK-AFC assembled at RNZAF station Hobsonville and first flown on 5 June 1937, commencing service from the Union Airways base at Palmerston North.  However, it suffered an engine failure on take-off on 10 May 1938 at Mangere and was destroyed by fire.  ZK-ALH was imported from Australia (ex VH-UXH), being shipped to Wellington and assembled at Rongotai.  On 24 February 1949 the undercarriage was accidentally retracted and it suffered damage. It was withdrawn from service on 29 July 1949 and, after storage at Palmerston North, was broken up, some parts being forwarded to Australia to assist in the restoration of VH-UZO.

ZK-ALI was shipped to Wellington from Australia (ex VH-AAU) and was eventually placed in service in August 1947.  It was withdrawn from service by NAC and ownership transferred to Rural Aviation of New Plymouth on 26 April 1951, but was dismantled, and was later broken up.

ZK-BUT (c/n 1138 – ex NC21735) was flown in New Zealand in 1957 with Trans Island Airways as “Spirit of Tasman Bay”.  This was the last Lockheed 10 in airline service in New Zealand, suffering damage when it ground looped at Christchurch on 18 February 1959 and going into retirement.  Refurbished at Auckland, and painted in Union Airways livery, this aircraft now masquerades as ZK-AFD “Kuaka” at the Museum of Transport and Technology & Social History at Auckland.  Sufficient parts are said to be available to completely restore the aircraft.

In early 1999 a further Lockheed 10 was imported from a museum in Alaska.  This aircraft N10310 (c/n 1145 – ex N10310, N301PC, N10310, CC-LGN-507, CC-CLG-0005, CC-CLEA-231, CC-226 – Dego de Almagro), which at one stage flew with Lan Chile, has been under restoration to airworthiness at Auckland.  A number of examples are airworthy in the United States and Canada. Others are in museums.