New Support for the Plexiglas Artifact

Research for TIGHAR’s new book, Finding Amelia – The True Story of the Earhart Electra, is having an unexpected impact on artifact identification.

In 1996, during the third TIGHAR expedition to Nikumaroro, we found a cut piece of Plexiglas at a house site in the abandoned village. Cataloged as Artifact 2-3-V-2, subsequent analysis confirmed that the piece was the same material, color, and curvature specified for Lockheed Part Number 40552, the cabin windows of the Model 10 Electra.

However, there was a possible discrepancy. The thickness of the windows at the time Earhart’s aircraft was built (1936) was 5/32^nds of an inch. The thickness of the artifact was 1/8^th inch. Lockheed changed the specification to 1/8^th inch on January 15, 1937. The crucial question was, were the cabin windows on NR16020 changed and, if so, when? Reliably datable photographs have provided the answer.

Earhart’s Electra was built with unique cabin windows constructed in two pieces separated by a bar. Lockheed photo.

The barred windows remained until at least the time of this photo taken in late December of 1936. Photo courtesy Automobile Club of Southern California Archives, © 2011.

The next datable photo is this one taken on February 8, 1937. The barred windows have been replaced with one-piece standard windows and a large window has been installed in the cabin door. Photo courtesy of “Remember Amelia,” the Larry C. Inman Historical Collection on Amelia Earhart.

So the cabin windows were replaced some time between late December 1936 and early February 1937. The 1/8^th inch specification change was effective January 15, 1937 which fits nicely within that period.

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Finding Amelia:
The True Story of the Earhart Electra

Research for the book is correcting so many myths and misconceptions about history’s most famous missing airplane, and producing so many new insights into what happened on July 2, 1937 that we’ve decided to change the title from The Earhart Electra, From Drawing Board to Disappearance to Finding Amelia – The True Story of the Earhart Electra. With Finding Amelia – the True Story of the Earhart Disappearance, this will be the second book in a Finding Amelia trilogy. The working title for the third book is Finding Amelia – The Castaway of Gardner Island.

The research and writing of the Finding Amelia trilogy is funded by contributions to the TIGHAR Literary Guild. If you’re a member of the Guild, thank you and please continue your support. If you’re not yet a member please go to the Guild page and help support this important work. You can read a draft of the first chapter and see where we’re going with the table of contents.