Earhart’s aircraft was a Lockheed Electra Model 10E “Special.” It
was a modern airplane with a stressed aluminum skin. The “Special” refers
to the fact that the aircraft had a specially-designed fuel system for
long-distance flying.
“10E” means that the aircraft had 550 HP Pratt & Whitney
“Wasp” engines,
rather than the 450 HP engines that were standard for the 10. An Electra
with 450 HP engines was designated a “10A.”
The airplane had no name, at least not in the sense
that Charles Lindbergh named his aircraft “The Spirit of St. Louis.”
Occasionally Earhart would refer to the plane as a flying laboratory.
The Electra was 38 feet, seven inches long, and had a wingspan of 55
feet. You can see a picture of it by clicking here.
|