Lockheed Air Express

The Lockheed Air Express was the second aircraft design of the Lockheed Aircraft Company, founded in 1927, and first flew in April 1928. It kept the original fuselage of the Vega but, to meet the requirements of Western Air Express, the wing was raised to a parasol position above the fuselage, the cockpit was moved behind the wing, and a more powerful Pratt and Whitney Wasp engine was fitted to ease flying over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Seven were built, plus one Air Express Special, a one-off built for Laura Ingalls for a non-stop transatlantic flight in 1931. The single-engined aircraft carried four to six passengers in an enclosed cabin, or up to 1,000 pounds of mail, and flew with Western Air Express, Pan American Airways, American Airways, Texas Air Transport and Panair do Brasil, among others. It was a commercial success for the company, and one example, registered NR3057, was flown by Roscoe Turner. None has survived to the present day.