Lockheed Altair

Last updated
Altair
Lockheed C-23.jpg
The C-23, an Altair 8D purchased by the US Army Air Corps for use as a staff transport
General information
TypeCivilian sport
National origin United States of America
Manufacturer Lockheed Aircraft Limited
Number built11
History
First flightSeptember 1930
Developed from Lockheed Sirius

The Lockheed Altair was a single-engined sport aircraft produced by Lockheed Aircraft Limited in the 1930s. It was a development of the Lockheed Sirius with a retractable undercarriage, and was the first Lockheed aircraft and one of the first aircraft designs with a fully retractable undercarriage.

Contents

Development and design

Lockheed designed an alternative wing fitted with a retractable undercarriage for the Lockheed Sirius as a result of a request from Charles Lindbergh, although Lindbergh in the end chose to buy a standard Sirius. The first Altair, converted from a Sirius, flew in September 1930. [1] Like the Sirius, the Altair was a single-engined, low-winged monoplane of wooden construction. The undercarriage, which was operated by use of a hand crank, retracted inwards.

Four Altairs following the prototype were converted from examples of the Sirius, with another six Altairs built from scratch: three by Lockheed, two by the Detroit Aircraft Corporation, and one by AiRover. The AiRover Altair, dubbed The Flying Testbed, was powered by a Menasco Unitwin engine, which used two engines to drive a single shaft. [2] The Unitwin was used in the Vega Starliner, which never went into production.

Operational history

The prototype Altair was purchased by the United States Army Air Corps and designated Y1C-25, with a second Altair, fitted with a metal construction fuselage was also purchased by the Army as the Y1C-23 and used as a staff transport, as was a single similar aircraft operated by the US Navy as the XRO-1. [3]

Altairs were used to carry out a number of record-breaking long-range flights. One aircraft, named Lady Southern Cross was used by Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith to carry out the first flight from Australia to the United States. The Lady Southern Cross departed Archerfield Airport on October 20, 1934 and arrived at Oakland, California on November 4. Kingsford Smith disappeared in the early hours of November 8, 1935, flying Lady Southern Cross during an attempt on the record for flying between England and Australia. [4]

Two Altairs were used by the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun as high-speed passenger and cargo aircraft, one remaining in use until 1944. [5]

Variants

Lockheed XRO-1 at Langley Lockheed XRO-1 Altair at Langley 1932.jpg
Lockheed XRO-1 at Langley
8D Altair
Two-seat long-range high-performance sports aircraft, fitted with a retractable undercarriage, powered by a 500 hp (373 kW) Pratt & Whitney SR-1340E Wasp radial piston engine; One prototype, four converted Sirius aircraft, six production aircraft.
8G Altair
One aircraft built by the AiRover Company as a testbed for the Menasco Unitwin 2-544 engine, intended for the Vega Model 2 Starliner.
Sirius 8 Special
One aircraft built for the Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith, it was converted into an Altair 8D aircraft, later named the Lady Southern Cross.
DL-2A
Two Altair 8Ds built by the Detroit Aircraft Corporation.
Y1C-23
The second Altair 8D was purchased by the US Army Air Corps, it was used as a staff transport aircraft. Later redesignated C-23.
Y1C-25
The Altair 8D prototype was purchased by the US Army Air Corps, powered by a 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-17 Wasp radial piston engine.
XRO-1
One Altair DL-2A acquired by the U.S. Navy, it was used as staff transport aircraft.

Operators

Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States

Specifications (Y1C-23)

Data from Lockheed Aircraft since 1913 [6]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Vega</span> Utility transport aircraft by Lockheed

The Lockheed Vega is an American five- to seven-seat high-wing monoplane airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation starting in 1927. It became famous for its use by a number of record-breaking pilots who were attracted to its high speed and long range. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in one, and Wiley Post used his to prove the existence of the jet stream after flying around the world twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Model 9 Orion</span> 1931 transport aircraft family

The Lockheed Model 9 Orion is a single-engined passenger aircraft built in 1931 for commercial airlines. It was faster than any American military aircraft of that time. Designed by Richard A. von Hake, it was the last wood aircraft produced by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.

The Lockheed Model 10 Electra is an American twin-engined, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, which was produced primarily in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2. The type gained considerable fame as one was flown by Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan on their ill-fated around-the-world expedition in 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Dolphin</span> 1930 multi-role flying boat family

The Douglas Dolphin is an American amphibious flying boat. While only 58 were built, they served a wide variety of roles including private air yacht, airliner, military transport, and search and rescue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grumman FF</span> US Navy biplane

The Grumman FF "Fifi" is an American biplane fighter aircraft operated by the United States Navy during the 1930s. It was the first carrier aircraft with retractable landing gear. It was produced under licence in Canada and known as the Goblin in Canadian service and Delfín in Spanish service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consolidated P-30</span> American two-seat fighter

The Consolidated P-30 (PB-2) was a 1930s United States two-seat fighter aircraft. An attack version called the A-11 was also built, along with 2 Y1P-25 prototypes and YP-27, Y1P-28, and XP-33 proposals. The P-30 is significant for being the first fighter in United States Army Air Corps service to have retractable landing gear, an enclosed and heated cockpit for the pilot, and an exhaust-driven turbo-supercharger for altitude operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Model 8 Sirius</span>

The Lockheed Model 8 Sirius is a single-engined, propeller-driven monoplane designed and built by Jack Northrop and Gerard Vultee while they were engineers at Lockheed in 1929, at the request of Charles Lindbergh. Two versions of the same basic design were built for the United States Air Force, one made largely of wood with a fixed landing gear, and one with a metal skin and retractable landing gear, designated Y1C-25 and Y1C-23, respectively. Its basic role was intended to be as a utility transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Air Express</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Explorer</span> Series of pioneering aircraft

The Lockheed Explorer was the least successful wooden airplane design produced by the Lockheed Aircraft Company. The Vega fuselage was combined with a cantilevered low wing. Seating for a single pilot was provided in an open cockpit behind the wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vega Aircraft Corporation</span> American aircraft manufacturer

The Vega Aircraft Corporation was a subsidiary of the Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California responsible for much of its parent company's production in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tachikawa Ki-36</span> Japanese army cooperation aircraft

The Tachikawa Ki-36 was a Japanese army co-operation aircraft of World War II. It was a two-seat, low-wing monoplane with a single piston engine and fixed, tailwheel-type undercarriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tachikawa Ki-55</span> Japanese military trainer aircraft

The Tachikawa Ki-55 was a Japanese advanced trainer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakajima Ki-34</span> Japanese military transport aircraft

The Nakajima Ki-34 was a Japanese light transport of World War II. It was a twin-engine, low-wing monoplane; the undercarriage was of tailwheel type with retractable main units. During the Pacific War, the Allies assigned the type the reporting name Thora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes BG</span> US carrier-based dive bomber

The Great Lakes BG was an American carrier-based dive bomber of the 1930s. Designed and built by the Great Lakes Aircraft Company of Cleveland, Ohio, 61 were used by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps from 1934 to 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas XP3D</span> Type of aircraft

The Douglas XP3D was a prototype American patrol flying boat of the 1930s. A twin-engined high-winged monoplane, the P3D was produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company to equip the US Navy's Patrol squadrons, but despite meeting the Navy's requirements, the rival Consolidated PBY was preferred owing to a lower price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas O2D</span> Type of aircraft

The Douglas XO2D-1 was a prototype American observation floatplane of the 1930s. It was a single engined biplane intended to be launched by aircraft catapult from ships of the United States Navy, but only one was built, the production contract going to Curtiss for the SOC Seagull.

The Mansyū Ki-98,, was a Japanese ground-attack aircraft proposed by Mansyū during World War II for use by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. The still unassembled components of the first prototype were deliberately destroyed before Japan surrendered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vought V-141</span> American fighter prototype

The Vought V-141 was a prototype American single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s. It was a development of the unsuccessful Northrop 3-A design, but was itself a failure, being rejected by the United States Army Air Corps. The sole prototype was sold to the Japanese Army in 1937, but no production followed, with the type proving to be inferior to existing Japanese fighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menasco Unitwin 2-544</span> Inverted twin six-cylinder air cooled aircraft engine

The Menasco Unitwin 2-544 was a coupled piston engine. Menasco Motors Company of Burbank, California was a well known manufacturer of inverted inline four and six cylinder engines. At the request of Lockheed Aircraft designers, Menasco produced an inverted twelve-cylinder air cooled aircraft engine by designing a common crankcase and gearbox for two of the six cylinder engines. The two crankshafts were combined with a unique double clutch gearbox to power a single propeller. This gave reliability of a twin engine aircraft in a single powerplant. It was a success, but did not enter production as no aircraft were produced that used it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vega Model 2 Starliner</span> Prototype five seat feeder airliner

The Vega Model 2 Starliner was a prototype five-seat feeder airliner produced by the Vega Airplane Company, a subsidiary of Lockheed. It was designed to be powered by an unusual powerplant, consisting of two Menasco piston engines coupled together to drive a single propeller. A single example was built, flying in 1939, but no production followed.

References

Notes

  1. Francillon 1982, p. 101.
  2. Pearce, William (24 December 2013). "Menasco 2-544 Unitwin Aircraft Engine". oldmachinepress.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  3. Francillon 1978, pp. 101–106.
  4. Francillon 1982, pp. 103–104.
  5. Francillon 1982, pp. 105–106.
  6. Francillon 1982, p. 106.

Bibliography