TYPE: Supply, troop- and personnel transport.

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three plus 18 passengers

POWER PLANT: Two Wright R-1820-87 Cyclone 9 radial engines, rated at 1,200 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 266 mph at 17,150 ft

COMMENT: When the United States started to build up its military air strength in 1940–41, the need for transport aircraft became obvious. Besides the well-known Douglas C-47 Skytrain, derived from the civilian DC-3, Lockheed Model 18 Super Electra was chosen by the United States Army Air Force as military transport. The aircraft started its career as C-56 and C-57 Lodestar, but only a few examples were built. A redesign of the original was more successful: As Lockheed C-60A Lodestar the transport was in widespread use in all military campaigns. But it never reached the popularity of the C-47 Skytrain. The Lodestar was also in use with the US Navy as R5O-5 and US Marine Corps as R5O-6. A total of 625 Lodestars of all variants were built (Ref.: 23).