Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior

The Lockheed 12 Electra Junior was an eight place, six passenger all-metal transport designed for use by smaller airlines and private owners. Developed as a scaled-down version of the Lockheed 10 Electra, the prototype made its first flight on June 27, 1936, piloted by Marshall Headle.

British Airways ordered two Electra Juniors in 1939. Although ostensibly acquired for civilian purposes, these aircraft were modified for aerial photography and used by Sidney Cotton to track Axis military activity on the eve of World War II.

A modified Electra Junior was used by the NACA as a testbed for "hotwing" deicing technology.

On screen

An Electra Junior appeared in the film Casablanca. Wartime security precautions prevented shooting at an airport at night, so a cardboard cutout stood in for a real airplane in many shots.

Specifications (12A Electra Junior)

General characteristics

• Crew: two pilots
• Capacity: 6 passengers
• Length: 36 ft 4 in (11.07 m)
• Wingspan: 49 ft 6 in (15.09 m)
• Height: 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
• Wing area: 352 ft² (32.7 m²)
• Empty: 5,765 lb (2,615 kg)
• Loaded: 8,650 lb (3,924 kg)
• Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-985-48 radials, 450 hp (336 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 225 mph (362 km/h)
• Range: 800 miles (1,287 km)
• Service ceiling: 22,900 ft (6,980 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,140 ft/min (427 m/min)
• Wing loading: 25 lb/ft² (120 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (0.17 kW/kg)