Lockheed Explorer

Explorer
Role	Exploration Type of aircraft
National origin	United States of America
Manufacturer	Lockheed
Number built	4
Developed from	Lockheed Vega

The Lockheed Explorer was the least successful wooden airplane design produced by the Lockheed Aircraft Company. The Vega fuselage was combined with a cantilevered low wing. Seating for a single pilot was provided in an open cockpit behind the wings.

Design and development

Work on the Explorer was commenced in 1927 for Sir Hubert Wilkins as an aircraft for use in exploration of Antarctica. However, this configuration was judged impractical, and Wilkins opted to use a Vega equipped with floats instead. The incomplete aircraft was brought out of storage to make an attempt at a nonstop flight between Japan and the United States, funded by lumber dealer John Buffelen and members of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce. Named City of Tacoma, the first Pacific crossing attempt ended in disaster when overfilled fuel tanks spilled over on takeoff. Two subsequent attempts in newer Explorers also met with failure.

The wing of a wrecked Explorer was fitted to the fuselage of an Orion by aviator Wiley Post, resulting in an Orion-Explorer hybrid variously referred to as 'Wiley's Bastard' and 'Aurora', though Post himself referred to the aircraft only by its serial number. The aircraft, nose-heavy, crashed after its engine failed shortly after takeoff near Point Barrow, Alaska on August 15, 1935, taking the lives of Post and humorist Will Rogers.

Lockheed built a total of four Explorers, all of which were destroyed in crashes.

Variants

4 Explorer

Single-seat single-engined aircraft, powered by a 450-hp (336-kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial piston engine. Built for a non-stop trans-Pacific flight between Japan and the united States; two built.

7 Explorer

Improved version of the 4 Explorer, powered by a Pratt & Whitney Wasp C radial piston engine; two built.

Specifications (Explorer 4)

Data from Lockheed Aircraft since 1913^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
• Wingspan: 48 ft 6 in (14.78 m)
• Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
• Wing area: 313 sq ft (29.08 m²)
• Empty weight: 3,075 lb (1,395 kg)
• Gross weight: 9,008 lb (4,086 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp , 450 hp (336 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 165 mph (265 km/h, 143 kn)
• Range: 5,500 mi (8,850 km, 4,800 nmi)
• Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min (6.1 m/s)
• Wing loading: 28.8 lb/sq ft (140.5 kg/m²)

See also

Related development

• Lockheed Vega
• Lockheed Air Express
• Lockheed Sirius
• Lockheed Altair
• Lockheed Orion

Related lists

• List of Lockheed aircraft

References

Transports

Vega family	1 & 2 Vega 3 Air Express 4 Explorer 5 Vega 61 7 Explorer 8 Sirius 8-D, E & G Altair 9 Orion DL.1 Vega
Electra family	10 Electra 12 Electra Junior 14 Super Electra 414 Hudson 18 Lodestar 37 Ventura 43 Harpoon
Constellation family	Constellation L-049 L-649 L-749 L-1049 L-1249 L-1649 Starliner C-69 C-121 EC-121 R6V XB-30
L-100 Hercules family	C-130 C-130J AC-130 DC-130 HC-130 EC-130 EC-130H KC-130 LC-130 MC-130 WC-130 L-100
L-188 Electra family	L-188 P-3 EP-3 CP-140 P-7
Other types	C-5 C-141 Excalibur JetStar L-1011 Tristar RAF L-2000 Saturn Vega Starliner

Fighter-bombers

Lightning family	P-38 XP-49 XP-58
Shooting Star family	F-80 F-94 T-33 T2V
Starfighter family	XF-104 F-104 NF-104A CL-288 CL-1200
Raptor family	YF-22 F-22 FB-22 X-44 MANTA
Other types	A-4AR A-9 F-16 F-21 F-35 F-117 XFM-2 XF-90 YP-24

Reconnaissance

Blackbird family	A-12 SR-71 Blackbird YF-12 M-21 D-21
Maritime patrol	Hudson PV-1 Ventura PV-2 Harpoon P2V/P-2 Neptune S-3 Viking P-3 Orion CP-140 Aurora P-7 LRAACA
Other crewed	CL-400 U-2 YO-3 Quiet Star TR-1 TR-X
UAVs	Aequare AQM-60 Cormorant (UAV) Desert Hawk Desert Hawk III Fury MQM-105 Polecat RQ-3 RQ-170 SR-72 X-44 (UAV)

TrainersHelicoptersExperimentalLight aircraftMissilesEnginesModel
numbers

Vega	1 2 31 41 5 6 7–101 11 12–141 15 161 17 18 191 201 21 22 23 24 251 26 27–321 33 34 35 361 37 381 391 40 41 42 43