Lockheed L-188 Electra
The Lockheed L-188 Electra was a fast, four-engine turboprop airliner whose promising airline career was badly damaged by two fatal crashes traced to a structural vibration problem in its engine mounts, requiring a costly worldwide retrofit to fix. That reputation damage pushed many airlines toward pure jets sooner than they might otherwise have moved, even though the underlying Electra design was sound once corrected. Its rugged airframe found a long second career as the basis for the US Navy's P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, still in service decades later. A number of converted Electra freighters remained in cargo service long after passenger operators had retired the type.
.jpg){kind=link}
Did you know?
The turboprop Electra's rugged airframe lived on as the basis for the US Navy's long-serving P-3 Orion patrol aircraft.
Specifications
| Length | 31.8 m (104 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 30.2 m (99 ft) |
| Height | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 99 |
| Persons on board | 85-104 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 52.6 t |
| Range | 2,200 NM (4,074 km) |
| Maximum speed | 380 kt (704 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 28,400 ft (8,656 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 25,000 ft (7,620 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,970 ft/min (10 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 1,290 m (4,232 ft) |
| Landing distance | 845 m (2,772 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 34,830 l |
| Engines | 4x Allison 501-D13 (turboprop) |
| Units built | 170 |
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-188 Electra 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-188 Electra family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.