AviationGeeks.com - Lockheed L-188 Electra

Photo by Ferenc Hamori

Name: L-188 Electra

Manufacturer: Lockheed

Status: Last passenger aircraft retired in 2000

First flight: December 12^th, 1957

Entered service: January 6^th, 1959

Number built: 170

Currently operating: unknown (very few)

Unit Cost: unknown

The L-188 was an advanced aircraft at the time. It was about 160 km/h (86 knots) faster than the similar size airliners at the time; had improved cabin climate control; and reduced noise levels, although initially passenger complained about cabin noise but that was fixed with tilting the engines. The aircraft was made following pressure from American Airlines and Eastern Air Lines for a four-engine, short and medium route aircraft. American made the first order for the L-188 in June 1955. The first flight was made in December, 1957 and Easters Air Lines were the first to operate the L-188 in 1959.

Photo by John Olafson

Crew: 3 in cockpit

Capacity: 98 passengers (all economy)

Length: 39.1 meters (104.5 feet)

Height: 10 meters (33 feet)

Wingspan: 30.2 meters (99 feet)

Wing area: 120.8 sq meters (1,300 sq feet)

Max take-off weight: 51,256 kg (113,000 lb)

Empty weight: 26,036 kg (57,400 lb)

Powerplant

Type: Allison 501-D13

Horsepower: 3,750 each

Performance

Max speed: 721 km/h (448 mph, 390 knots) at 3,660 meters (12,000 feet)

Cruise speed: 600 km/h (373 mph, 324 knots)

Range: 3,540 km (1,913 nmi, 2,200 mi) at max payload

Ceiling: 8,665 meters (28,400 feet)

Rate of climb: 10 m/s (1,970 ft/min)

Photo by Daniel Villa

The L-188 orders started well with several orders being made by airlines such as American, Eastern, Northwest Airlines, Pacific Southwest, Cathay Pacific, Trans Australian Airlines, Ansett-ANA and KLM. But, a series of crashes in the first few years of the aircraft´s operation made customers cancel orders and the FAA imposed speed restrictions on the aircraft. The fault was found to be vibration problem which weakened the engine mounts to a point were the engines would come off. Lockheed had to make significant changes to the wings and engine mounts.

Even though Lockheed and found the problems and rectified it, the L-188 program did not survive and production of the aircraft ceased in 1961 after only 170 aircrafts had been produced.

Photo by Charles Osta 

There are currently 20 L-188 known to be still flying. 9 of them are operating cargo flights for West Atlantic and Buffalo Airways, and 11 have been converted to firefight airtankers operating for Air Spray and Conair Group.

The Lockheed L-188 has 65 occurrences during its life. Out of those 65 occurrences, 31 involved fatalities and 17 crashes had more than 20 deaths.