Lockheed L-18 Lodestar
The Lockheed L-18 Lodestar was stretched from the smaller L-14 Super Electra, adding five feet of fuselage length and two extra seat rows to compete with the Douglas DC-3, first flying in this form on 21 September 1939. Unlike the airliner-focused Electra, the Lodestar found its largest market with the US military, which operated it under designations including C-56, C-59 and C-60, alongside Navy R5O variants, and supplied many more through Lend-Lease to Allied air forces. Both Wright and Pratt & Whitney engine options were fitted across its 625 military examples. After the war, surplus aircraft were widely converted for civilian passenger and cargo use.
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Did you know?
A stretched Lockheed Electra meant to rival the DC-3, the Lodestar instead found its largest role as a US military transport under designations like C-60.
Specifications
| Length | 15.2 m (50 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 20 m (65 ft) |
| Height | 3.6 m (12 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 8 |
| Persons on board | 18 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 9.7 t |
| Range | 1,500 NM (2,778 km) |
| Maximum speed | 250 kt (463 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 25,000 ft (7,620 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,950 ft/min (9.9 m/s) |
| Engines | 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1830 |
| Units built | 22 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Lockheed L-18 Lodestar starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Lockheed, the L-18 Lodestar family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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