Lockheed Explorer

Lockheed Corporation · United States · first flew 1929 · light aircraft

The Lockheed Explorer was a variant of the famous Lockheed Vega monocoque wooden monoplane, optimised for long-distance record-breaking flights with additional fuel capacity. It was used by several notable aviators in the late 1920s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Smooth streamlined fuselage with a large enclosed cabin
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Wooden monocoque Lockheed Vega family airframe optimised for long-range records
Smooth streamlined fuselage with a large enclosed cabin
Single radial engine in a short-chord cowling

Identical in external form to the Lockheed Vega — circular-section monocoque fuselage, high cantilever wooden wing, and a single radial engine; distinguished from the Vega only by additional fuel tank fairings.

Specifications

The Lockheed Explorer has a length of 8.38 m (27 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.78 m (48 ft).
Its maximum speed is 265 km/h (165 mph).
Typical crew: 1 pilot + passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Based on the Lockheed Vega design, the Explorer was configured for trans-oceanic and long-range flights. George Hubert Wilkins used a modified Explorer for his 1928 Alaska-to-Spitsbergen Arctic flight, one of the earliest trans-Arctic crossings. The type shared the Vega's revolutionary plywood monocoque construction.

Variants

The Explorer differed from the standard Vega chiefly in fuel capacity and internal fit; it shared the same basic airframe and engine options as the Vega and Air Express.

Where you'll see it

Used by private adventurers and record-breakers rather than airlines or military operators.

Related aircraft

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