Warplanes of the USA: Lockheed Lodestar

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar

(Robert Yarnall Ritchie Photo)

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar over Houston, c1947.

The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar is a passenger transport aircraft of the Second World World War era, developed as part of the Model 10 Electra family; developed from the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra. When the United States started to build up its military air strength in 1940–41, many American-operated Lodestars were impressed as the C-56. This was followed by the construction of many new-build Lodestars which were flown by the U.S. Army Air Forces as the C-60 and by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps as the R5O. Lend-lease aircraft were used by the RNZAF as transports. After the war many Lodestars were overhauled and returned to civilian service, mostly as executive transports. (Wikipedia)

A single Lodestar served with the Israeli Air Force during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. A number of skydiving operations in the United States used Lodestars during the 1970s and 1980s.  (The author jumped out of a few in Florida).

US Army Lodestars

C-56 Powered by 1,200 hp Wright 1820-89 engines, one Model 18-50 for evaluation.

C-56AOne impressed Model 18-07 with two Pratt & Whitney R-1690-54 engines.

C-56B Thirteen impressed Model 18-40s with two Wright 1820-97 engines.

C-56C Twelve impressed Model 18-07.

C-56D Seven impressed Model 18-08.

C-56E Two Model 18-40s impressed in 1943.

C-57 As Model 18-14 powered by two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-53 engines.

C-57A Allocated for impressed aircraft, not used.

C-57B Based on Model 18-08 fitted for trooping; seven aircraft built.

C-57C Repowered C-60A with Pratt & Whitney R-1830-51 engines; three aircraft converted.

C-57D Repowered C-57C with Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 engines; one aircraft converted.

C-59 Based on Model 18-07 powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1690-25 Hornet engines; 10 aircraft built, transferred to Royal Air Force as Lodestar IA.

C-60 Model 18-56 powered by Wright R-1820-87 engines; 36 aircraft built, some transferred to RAF as Lodestar II.

C-60A As the C-60 but fitted out as a paratroop transport powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines; 325 aircraft built.[

XC-60B One C-60A fitted with experimental de-icing equipment.

C-60C Proposed 21-seat troop transport aircraft, never built.

C-66 Powered by Wright R-1820-87 engines; one aircraft built, 11-passenger interior for transfer to the Brazilian Air Force.

C-104 Original designation for C-60C

US Navy Lodestars

XR5O-1 One Model 18-07 acquired for evaluation powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-40 engines.

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R5O-1 Staff transport powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-97 engines; three aircraft built, two for the USN and one for the United States Coast Guard.

R5O-2 Navy version of the C-59 powered by 850 hp (634 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1690-25 engines; one aircraft built.

R5O-3 Powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-34A engines. Originally 4-seater VIP transports; three aircraft built.

R5O-4 Powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-40 engines. Impressed. 7-seater staff transports; 12 aircraft built.

R5O-5 Navy version of the C-60 powered by 1,200 hp (895 kW) Wright R-1820-40 engines. Similar to the R5O-4 but had 14-seats; 38 aircraft built and three former NEIAF aircraft.

R5O-6 Navy version of the C-60A for the US Marine Corps, equipped with 18 paratroop seats; 35 built.

(Bill Larkins Photo)

Lockheed R5O-1, staff transport for the Secretary of the Navy. At San Francisco on 4 August 1941.

Survivors:

(Nehrams2020 Photo)

(kitmasterbloke Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 18-2035), XC-60B on static display at the Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California.

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 18-2302), C-60 on display at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum in Houston, Texas. It has been converted for use as an executive aircraft.

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 18-2347), C-60 in storage in Corinth, Mississippi.

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 18-6124), L18-56 airworthy with Chris Galloway of Knights Landing, California.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

(Bill Larkins Photo)

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 41-19729), C-56 on static display at the Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center at Travis Air Force Base near Fairfield, California.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 42-32181), C-60 on static display at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California.

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 42-55884), C-60A airworthy with Gary Hilton of Kingsville, Missouri.

(Baylon Greyjoy Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 42-55918), c/n 18-2333, C-60A Lodestar, 'Classy Chassy', Reg. No. N315F, Warner Robins Museum of Aviatio, Robbins AFB, Georgia.

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 42-56005), C-60A airworthy with the Houston Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Houston, Texas.

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 42-56036), C-60A, airworthy with the Mid America Flight Museum in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

(Greg Hume Photo)

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 43-16445), c/n 18-2605, C-60A on static display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Acquired by the museum in 1981.

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 43-16462), C-60A on static display at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, California.

(Tomas Del Coro Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 43-3538), painted as (Serial No. 12473), R5O-5 on static display at the March Field Air Museum at March Air Reserve Base (former March Air Force Base) in Riverside, California.

Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (Serial No. 12481), R5O-5 on static display at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona.

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