Lockheed Saturn

The Lockheed Model 75 Saturn was a small, short-route commercial aircraft produced by the Lockheed Corporation in the mid-1940s. Lockheed announced the project on 19 November 1944, and a design team led by Don Palmer created a high-wing, twin-engine monoplane with 14 seats and a top speed of 228 mph, or 367 km/h. Lockheed promoted the Saturn as able to take on passengers and cargo without ramps or stairs, which suited small-town airports with limited facilities. Tony LeVier made the first flight on 17 June 1946. Lockheed had received 500 conditional orders at 85,000 dollars each, but by the time the design was finished the price had risen to 100,000 dollars and the orders were cancelled, because war-surplus C-47s served the same market at a quarter of the price. Lockheed lost 6 million dollars on the development of the two prototypes, which were scrapped in 1948. The Saturn was powered by two Wright seven-cylinder radial engines of 700 horsepower each.