Vega
Lockheed · United States · first flew 1927 · light aircraft
The Lockheed Vega was the fastest thing in civil aviation at the end of the 1920s, a streamlined wooden monoplane flown to fame by Amelia Earhart and Wiley Post.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Plump, cigar-shaped moulded plywood fuselage with a broad NACA cowling |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Beautifully clean high-wing monoplane with no bracing struts at all
- Plump, cigar-shaped moulded plywood fuselage with a broad NACA cowling
- Record-breaker's mount: Earhart's Atlantic solo and Post's round-the-world flights
Look for an exceptionally clean high-wing monoplane with no wing struts, a fat rounded plywood fuselage, and a deep-chord cowling over the radial engine. The wing tapers towards the tips and the fin is small and rounded. Nothing else of its era looks so aerodynamically smooth.
Specifications
- The Vega has a length of 8.38 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.5 m (41 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 298 km/h (185 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Jack Northrop and first flown on 4 July 1927, the Vega used a moulded plywood monocoque fuselage and a fully cantilevered wing, dispensing with drag-producing struts entirely. Around 130 were built, carrying passengers for early airlines and shattering records in private hands.
Variants
The original Whirlwind-powered Vega 1 evolved into the definitive Vega 5 series with the Pratt & Whitney Wasp and NACA cowling. Earhart's red Vega 5B and Post's 'Winnie Mae', a Vega 5C fitted for high-altitude research, are the celebrated individuals.
Where you'll see it
The great Vegas are American treasures: Earhart's 5B, in which she soloed the Atlantic in 1932, and Post's round-the-world 'Winnie Mae' are both displayed by the Smithsonian. Earhart's flight ended in a field near Londonderry, giving the type a footnote in British and Irish aviation history. No Vega is based in the UK.
Related aircraft
- Lockheed Vega 5B
- Lockheed Electra 10-A
- Lockheed Lodestar
- P-38 Lightning
- BFW M.19
- Cessna Model A
- de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth
- Focke-Wulf F 19 Ente
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