TCA Lockheed Super Electra Still Around?

[pstrany]

Hi;

I have heard a few whispers that the Weekes collection in Florida includes an ex-TransCanada Air Lines Lockheed Super Electra - anybody know if this is true? I would be especially interested in any pictures that might exist, info, and how open the Weekes people are to access to their aircraft for photos. I am doing a research project on the Super Electra, good information is extrememly hard to find, pictures are even harder to find.......

Paul

[Edward Soye]

Paul,

I can't speak for the Weeks collection, but I know that Air Canada owns and operates a Lockheed Electra L-10A (CF-TCC). It was fully restored (well... with a VERY updated panel I understand) and when its not living in the Western Canadian Aviation Museum it does promotional work for the company. I saw it fly into Brampton this past fall, so it still gets around.

As for pictures, try looking up CF-TCC and I'm sure you'll find a bunch. Assuming this is the type you're actually looking for. The only TCA electra I know thats flying today though.

The following link on airliners.net should direct you to a series:

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... rds=CF-TCC

Cheers

Edward

[warbirddriver]

Edward,

it had to have an updated panel. You don't expect an airline pilot to fly needle ball and airspeed while looking out he window do you?????

Glenn

[AirJimL2]

Is the Super Electra the Lockheed 14 or Lockheed 18? Ex-TCA Lockheed 18 CF-TCY is on display at the Delta Airpark in B.C.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5614733

Jim

[pstrany]

There were several Lockheed Twins that came out, starting with the L-10 Electra, progressing through the L-12, L-14 Super Electra and L-18 Lodestar. The Super Electra was the civil equivalent of the military's Hudson bomber - indeed the Hudson was a derivative of the L-14 Super Electra.

The Lodestar is interesting, can't tell from this angle if it is an early or later version (the early version was little more than a "stretched" Super Electra/Hudson.) Are any pictures of the interior available?
But the aircraft I am really interested in is the Super Electra. There is precious little reference material availabe on her, with big gaps in photographic coverage and absolutely NO accurate drawings that I've been able to find (before I even look at a set of drawings of the Super Electra or Hudson, I check to see if it accurately shows the one-piece elevator. So far, nobody has gotten this right. If the drafter can't even get this one detail right, how could I trust that he/she got any of the rest of it right either?) I have a few pictures of the interior, garnered from a number of sources, but this is incomplete as well, so that I find myself with way more questions than I have answers.

I understand that the Kermit Weeks collection (sorry for previous misspelling) has the remains fo a Trans Canada Air Lines Super Electra in storage. IF I could find pictures of this aircraft, or gain access to it somehow, I may be able to answer some of the questions I have.

Thank you all for your input, and I hope to hear more from you all!

Paul

[vernicator]

Apparently the aircraft in question is the the former CF-TCO (c/n1500) of TCA.

There is a pictue of the aircraft after a belly landing at Aklavik, Northwest Terriotory, Canada while operating with Kenting Surveys back in 1939 here as well as some additional info on the aircraft.

Another random pic of TCO while with TCA:
http://www.acfamily.net/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2287&cat=502[/url]

[gilt]

Paul-

Three 14-H's were stretched to become 14-H2's, the first production 18 was built to the same standard. Due to problems with elevator "nibbling" in cruise the horizontal stabilizer was raised one foot and the wing trailing edge was extended, all subsequent 18's were built in this config.

Other changes came in the Ventura and Harpoon programs, and in the post-war mods to corporate transports.

Tom-

[Edward Soye]

Edward,

it had to have an updated panel. You don't expect an airline pilot to fly needle ball and airspeed while looking out he window do you?????

Glenn

I was tempted to say it, but knew someone else would do it for me.

[Chris Brame]

The Lodestar is interesting, can't tell from this angle if it is an early or later version (the early version was little more than a "stretched" Super Electra/Hudson.) Are any pictures of the interior available?

Earl Reinert told me he got this plane when it was abandoned at Midway Airport (Chicago) around 1961. He sold the engines and brought it to the Victory Air Museum, where he painted it in RAF markings, although he left the registration on the lower wing. When I saw it, the airline interior was a bit shabby but intact. Note the missing flap fairings; they got crunched when an ultralight ran into it! He did mention to me that it had the earlier 12-volt electrical system; he wanted to hook a car battery to it and turn on the landing lights at night. I helped him repaint it with oil-based house paint (thinned with gasoline ) and he nearly ripped me a new one for deviating from the original camouflage pattern on the nose! I fixed it and added the serial BW409 under the tail.

Frankly, I had hoped the plane was going to be restored and put in a museum; other than having engines hung on it (and not having 55-gallon drums supporting the vertical stabilizers) it doesn't seem that much better off than it was at the VAM...