Lockheed Explorer

The Lockheed Explorer was the least successful wooden airplane design produced by the Lockheed Aircraft Company. The Vega fuselage was combined with a cantilevered low wing. Seating for a single pilot was provided in an open cockpit behind the wings.

Work on the Explorer was commenced in 1927 for Sir Hubert Wilkins as an aircraft for use in exploration of Antarctica. However, this configuration was judged impractical, and Sir Wilkins opted to use a Vega equipped with floats instead. The incomplete aircraft was brought out of storage to make an attempt at a nonstop flight between Japan and the United States, funded by lumber dealer John Buffelen and members of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. Named "City of Tacoma", the first Pacific crossing attempt ended in disaster when overfilled fuel tanks spilled over on takeoff. Two subsequent attempts in newer Explorers also met with failure.

The wing of a wrecked Explorer was fitted to the fuselage of an Orion by aviator Wiley Post, resulting in an Orion-Explorer hybrid variously referred to as 'Wiley's Bastard' and 'Aurora', though Post himself referred to the aircraft only by its serial number. The aircraft, nose-heavy, crashed after its engine failed shortly after takeoff near Point Barrow, Alaska on August 15, 1935, taking the lives of Post and humorist Will Rogers.

Lockheed built a total of four Explorers, all of which were destroyed in crashes.

Specifications (Explorer 4)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

crew=1
capacity=
length main=27 ft 6 in
length alt=8.38 m
span main=48 ft 6 in
span alt=14.78 m
height main=8 ft 2 in
height alt=2.49 m
area main=313 ft
area alt=29.077 m
airfoil=
empty weight main=3,075 lb
empty weight alt=1,395 kg
loaded weight main=9,008 lb
loaded weight alt=4,086 kg
max takeoff weight main= lb
max takeoff weight alt= kg
more general=

engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main= lbf
thrust alt= kN
thrust original=
thrust more=
afterburning thrust main= lbf
afterburning thrust alt= kN
engine (prop)=Pratt & Whitney Wasp
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main=450 hp
power alt= kW
power original=
power more=
max speed main=165 mph
max speed alt=265 km/h
max speed more=
range main=5,500 mi
range alt=8,850 km
range more=
ceiling main= ft
ceiling alt= m
climb rate main=1,200 ft/min
climb rate alt=366 m/s
loading main=28.8 lb/ft²
loading alt=140.5 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= hp/lb
power/mass alt= kW/kg
more performance=

armament=

References

* Francillon, René J, "Lockheed Aircraft since 1913". Naval Institute Press: Annapolis, 1987.

ee also

aircontent
sequence=
L-1 -
L-2 -
L-3 -
L-4 -
L-5 -
L-7 -
L-8 -
similar=
related=
* Lockheed Vega
* Lockheed Air Express
* Lockheed Sirius
* Lockheed Altair
* Lockheed Orion

lists=
* List of Lockheed aircraft