Lockheed L-188A Electra Promo Film #3 - 1960

[@LAviation87]

These airplanes are still flying today! A company called “Airspray Airtankers” which my dad is one of the bosses at, owns 9 of these Electra’s. They have all been converted into Air Tankers that fight fires all over Canada and the US. I grew up around these birds, my dad teaching me new things about them each day. They are very fascinating and probably my favourite sounding aircraft ever. In my recent video, I film the Electra flying right over me. (Hence my pfp)

[@timengineman2nd714]

This is the civilian version of the P-3 Orion. A whole bunch of countries still fly them with updates to their sensor systems!

[@Mark36912]

And Buffalo Airways still flies them too!

[@charles-ge1nx]

They also had a design flaw that caused fatal crashes out of Boston, MA Logan Airport in the late 1950’s & 1960. That should have been mentioned.

[@ruycarlospereira5379]

ruype121662 ruype121662

[@ghostrider-be9ek]

@@charles-ge1nx yes, like so many aircraft at the dawn of the jet age

[@IndependentBear]

Neat. I rode Electras up and down the California Coast in the 1960's. Beautiful aircraft and I sure miss those seats whenever I get aboard an airliner today!

[@shaanali6965]

Ron D'Eau Claire really! That’s awesome!!!

[@steveember8972]

Loved your comment, as it reminded me of my first Electra flight, from Buffalo to NYC LaGuardia, on a shiny American Airlines "Electra II Flagship." Of course, there was much to love about the Electra - her form, those aggressive looking Allison turboprop engines with the huge squared off props and the sound they made, whether on the ground or in flight. But one of the other little touches I remember so vividly (all the way from my late teens!) was the comfort of those seats - including how good they felt against the backs of one's knees ;-) She left us too soon!

[@captbrakeset7630]

"The Electra Story" written by Robert Serling is, for my money, the definitive story of the L-188's development, trials and eventual triumphs. He writes in detail about the two crashes involving mid-air separation of a wing from the airframe. Lockheed's testing was thorough although there was no reason for them to break a few parts on the Quick Engine Change assemblies before sending up the test planes. What the post-crash investigations revealed was a hard landing or an encounter with rough air could cause fractures that weakened the QECs in the outboard nacelles. (They also found that those outboard nacelles were, as Mr. Serling wrote it, taking much more of a "beating" - stresses - than anyone expected or anticipated.) Once damaged, another in-flight encounter with a fair bit of turbulence was enough for the QEC to fail. This set in motion a cascade of events from the prop wobbling to the engine gyrating inside the nacelle, busting the reduction gear box and sending a pattern of vibration into the wing that the wing structure could not absorb or suppress. The investigators figured that 30 seconds into this phenomenon called "Whirl Mode" is when the wing succumbed and ripped away from its mountings. Lockheed developed a fix that added over 1,000 pounds to the airframe, including stiffened wings, thicker skin on the wings and improved QECs, among other things. The modified Electras went on to become a favorite of pilots, passengers and the airlines. Eastern retired their last Electra in 1977, with more hours on it than any other aircraft they flew before or after.

[@bcshelby4926]

...read the book myself back in the 1960s. The programme of modifications was titled LEAP which stood for Lockheed Electra Action Programme and all aircraft went though it resulting in a very durable and safe aeroplane. lessonslearned.faa.gov/ElectraWings/Leap.pdf

[@raleighprater1662]

Any Idea of how many Hr.

[@daleeasternbrat816]

I am going to read that book. Thanks!

[@leerussel2033]

Eastern Air Lines flew the Electra on the DCA LGA into the late 80s. It was the prime a/c for the 8 pm DCA to LGA because it could fly back after the 10pm curfew. It was the back up A/C all day long and flew just about every hour. The Eastern Shuttle was a guaranteed seat. So if you showed up before the hour if the plane was full we pulled up an Electra and you got your seat even if you were the only person you got the whole plane to yourself. I loved the Electra. One other thing. The Thanksgiving that TWA lost a 727 going into IAD, that was diverted from DCA because of weather. The Eastern Air Lines Electra's were the only air craft flying the rest of the day. I was so proud of that bird and the fact Eastern still had them. If not for Frank Lorenzo Eastern would still be flying and maybe the Electra might still be flying shuttle backups. GREAT PLANE, GREAT AIR LINE.

[@gerardmills1389]

The Navy P-3 Orion is still on service today.

[@hotelgulf]

Finally got some close up footage of the main door opening mechanism. Thank you!

[@badcompany-w6s]

Yeah. I love how it has its own stairs.

[@glennpost8553]

I love those shots of Burbank Airport! My dad used to take me there when I was a kid so we could watch the PSA Electras fly in and out. Back then, there was an outdoor boarding area where you could stand very close to the planes. Those Allison turboprop engines sounded awesome!

[@Kayaz48]

Glenn Post I know man! I was born in Burbank and have been dying in and out their my entire life. And I’m 70 !

[@John-kd4ef]

The 1950s and 60s were still a time when most people who flew had a semblance of pride in their appearance. Even if men didn't wear a suit or sports jacket with a tie, they didn't board the plane in ripped up shorts and a tank top, as so many people are doing these days. Our self-respect has practically vanished and some people think nothing of taking a cross-country flight in the most vulgar-looking items of what I would not even call fashion. Americans have become lazy and crude in their thinking, their dress, and their behavior toward others. This really reflects the "dumbing-down" of America, in my opinion.

[@michlo3393]

Or maybe it was just the style back then. Did they take pride in their racism back then too? What about when they drove drunk and beat their wives? Yeah, what a "golden age" that was. Want to know why flying sucks these days? because it's what the people wanted. It's CHEAP, but it's democratized and safe. In fact, if you spent 5 minutes in a DC-3 in rough weather you'd be BEGGING for a seat on a Spirit Airlines flight in a fucking heartbeat. Count on that.

[@stevencramsie9172]

Couldn’t be further from the truth. Back in those days, flying was extremely expensive and was considered a luxury. Now, air travel has become so affordable to the masses that in some cases, they run almost like a bus schedule. There’s no reason to get dressed in a suit and tie to fly 55 minutes from San Diego to Phoenix.

[@JustinCase-ft3gv]

Women didn't wear sweat pants with JUICY written across the ass??

[@mariolopez1036]

​@@stevencramsie9172Pero tampoco se vale ir vestidos como vulgares pordioseros o drogadictos 🤑

[@gordonfeliciano4315]

I flew in the Lockheed P-3C Update III in the Navy... the military version of the Electra. An outstanding aircraft and ASW platform.

[@bubbagreensmith7174]

Same as the P-3 Orion I believe?

[@marsdenk.6162]

Thanks for sharing

[@donlockler7711]

if you noticed the Northwest a/c at the end of the video, It's Registration was N121US. This was the a/c that shed a wing and crashed near Tell City, In. 17 March 1960. The mirror image of the Braniff crash at Buffalo ,Tx in September 1959. By the way for the record the Electra was never grounded but the FAA did place speed restrictions on it. Elwood Quesada refused to order the grounding.

[@andymadden8183]

I wonder what the one at 02:06 is.

[@timsharkey1993]

My dad’s friend Bob Serling (brother of Rod) was an aviation writer who wrote a book about the Electra’s troubles. It’s called “The Electra Story” and it’s a great read if you’re into planes.

[@MrShobar]

Bob was the aviation correspondent for UPI (United Press International).

[@daisymae6561]

I saw this a/c lose it’s wing on March 17, 1960. 63 lost their lives. Still visit the memorial often. Wonder about the names and families affected. RIP.

[@edgarcook9607]

Yeah baby I was on one of these in March 1960--National Airlines, Idlewild to Bradenton Fla. Very exciting for an 11-y.o. Aviation nerd. Those squared off props really pulled that baby up to the skies! Oh--and the pilots were kinda ignoring the new speed limits...Flew back on the same bird.

[@marsdenk.6162]

Yeah 👏👏

[@jimcrawford5039]

I flew from Melbourne to Sydney in one in 1962. Very nice too!

[@Greatwhite1959]

The Braniff plane shown in the end of the video is the N121US which crashed on March 17 1960 only a few months after this film was made.

[@kaygeemusic5077]

That was actually Northwest, not Braniff.

[@bobvenditti8775]

Great airliner. I was lucky to fly on two (NWT Air and Reeve Alleutian) and will always be glad I made the effort. Yes, it had its share of problems early on, but it proved to be impressively durable and reliable.

[@howardnielsen6220]

PSA coming home to San Diego in the mid 60’s Loved the back lounge seating and the beautiful ladies dated one for a while a while in the early 70’s ❤️

[@ov10bronco1]

Held up in Newark due to storms in '70 to DC. Had to move to an Electra since no jet could go into DC National after 10PM, Great experience. Originally on a DC-9 Eastern.

[@jaggcmi]

P-3 Orion, the Electra derivative, was a great aircraft and a pleasure to fly.

[@philliprobinson7724]

Hi. The impressive climb of these planes was due to the prop-wash over and under the wings, especially the flaps. In a jet it would be called "vectored thrust". Lockheed first used this idea in its timeless C130 Hercules which made that plane the best short runway heavy lifter ever, also using Allison turboprops. The "Herc" could even land and take off from aircraft carriers, albeit large ones only. This is why the P3 Orion and Herc still soldier on in the 21st century, they were both designed initially to meet military needs, Lockheed having a close relationship with Uncle Sam through its secret "skunk-works" design bureau. A good job well done. I remember the Electra's screaming in from Australia across the Tasman sea, taking a nudge over three hours to reach N.Z. from Sydney 1200 miles away if the wind was right. We had Viscounts and F27's too, but they sounded different. We'd rush out to see the turbo-props because for boy plane-spotters it was boring old ex-military DC3's every day, droning on and on ad nauseum, with their 24 air-pocketed passengers filling up their sick-bags. Today we'd rush out to see the DC3: how times have changed. Good video, happy landings. Cheers, P.R.

[@53bigmikejones]

Thanks for sharing. The Electra was an awesome aircraft, in fact, it was the basis of the P-3 Orion. Love the shot at 15:42 of the P-2 V on the ramp. The Electra was an awesome aircraft and will be missed, not only in commercial setting but the Sub Hunters also.

[@PeterNGloor]

Go to Yellowknive, NWT

[@Bartonovich52]

Or Red Deer AB, or Abbotsford BC. Or just about any firebase in BC in the summer like Penticton, Williams Lake, Cranbrook, Prince George, etc.

[@rebeccahenderson2718]

I can not agree. I’m sure its done a reasonable job but it also killed my Grandfather Edward Robinson Gardner and my Uncle William Derek (Derry) Gardner who was only 16. Heartbreaking to my family. I do not mean to insult your opinion in anyway, I’m just voicing mine. They were Canadian.

[@LeftIsBest001]

I just Googled flight time, LA to Hawaii and it said 5h 55mins... so since the 1960s, the time has only been reduced by 20 mins??? Either the Electra was very fast, or our modern jets ain't that quick, lol.

[@juantrippeaviationpioneera1765]

So very, very cool!!!!! Great vintage video of Lockheed at Burbank airport.

[@dennismabry7244]

This was the first airplane I flew on and I was so excited. Philadelphia to Boston. Then the return flight was another first flying on a Boeing 707 in 1964.

[@PabloDezon]

I recommend the reading of the book titled The Electra Story, The Dramatic History of Aviation’s Most Controversial Airliner by Robert J Serling.

[@maxpenn6374]

I second that. If you liked the book, you'll like this NASA page I just came across: www.nasa.gov/topics/history/features/rn_tdt50.html

[@donwebber7034]

Written by Rod Serling’s brother, a very good aviation author, who helped Rod write authentic dialogue for the Twilight Zone’s “Odyssey of Flight 33”.

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@maxpenn6374 I used to ride around on Electras flown by "Reeve Aleutian Airlines" all through the Aleutians in the 80s and 90s when I crabbed and long lined in the Bering sea. Loved those planes. Had some sketchy rides into Dutch Harbor , Cold Bay and Adak. Good times

[@fordlandau]

Nice to see the Ansett ANA plane. As a boy I flew in these Sydney to Melbourne many times.

[@57buickcentury]

Thanks so much for posting this one! The Electra was a pretty hot performer for its time; I have some home movies from a 1959 airshow in which an AA Electra is making low passes. Each time it passes they shut down an engine until it's only flying on ONE turboprop - and it still manages to climb out!

[@mcdonnell220]

Hi Buick, if you'd be willing to share that Electra film, I will add audio, and upload with your name in the credits on the video screen. Just lemme know if interested!

[@57buickcentury]

Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture Right now I'm saving up to get the footage digitized properly - there's around 30 minutes of film; I have it on VHS but the quality could be way better. It was shot at the World Congress of Flight in Las Vegas in 1959.

[@mcdonnell220]

57buickcentury Wow, sounds exciting, hope to see it one day! I think it may have been Tony Levier making that one engine fly by, there is a pic in one of the Electra books.

[@bboomer1948]

My first flight in an airliner was aboard a PSA Electra from Burbank to SFO in '66. My first really awesome airline experience was in a PSA Electra landing and taking off at Tahoe Airport. Holy Cow ! What a steep landing to that airport..... Great aircraft. I grew up in Burbank, Ca.....all day long you could hear Electra's taking off and landing, along with the Orion's Lockheed Aircraft built in Burbank.

[@spiritoftungchung]

P-3 Orions. Hooray.

[@tomschnabel6146]

i watched from Sugarloaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro as Electras came from the old Santos Dumont airport to the new Galeao airport, rounding Sugarloaf. A beautiful sight to behold.

[@pip12111]

I used to live on Bolling AFB, and my house was on the flight path of the second runway at National. Eastern Electras used to fly over,and had an awesome sound

[@ldmax]

I remember attending Eastern Michigan University in the early 90s. Zantop Electras would go right over campus after departing Willow Run Airport. I always looked up as I was passing between classes. I started taking flying lessons shortly after. Many times I would be on base for 23 Right with an Electra on downwind for 23 Left. You could spot them miles away with their four exhaust streams.

[@mcdonnell220]

+ldmax Love reading comments like this, thanks!

[@jimmywingo6243]

I worked for Zantop for 16 years. Remember flying on the Electras twice. Once from Atlanta to Denver and back and once from Atlanta to Lima, Ohio and back. I was the loadmaster on both trips. After an accident in Philadelphia when a DC-8 was set on it's tail, Zantop required one of their own loadmasters on each trip. When I flew to and from Willow Run, it was on DC-8s.

[@sidewalksurfin7827]

I grew up in the area and remember seeing the Electras out on the ramp for years after Zantop closed. Now the hangar is gone as well. I still look for both every time I drive through the airport though... old habits die hard.

[@Ney8666]

Simbolo da ponte aérea São Paulo x Rio de janeiro, voou por mais de 30 anos na Varig sem nenhum acidente, fez muito sucesso no Brasil.

[@arodrigues2843]

Ney Silva : É na REAL AEROVIAS.???

[@hkreimes]

Wonderful film. Thanks for sharing.

[@TRONABORON]

Flew on one from Mexico to Ecuador back in 1970! What a treat it was as a kid!

[@bcshelby4926]

...flew on these frequently in the 60s on Northwest. They used to operate routes between Minneapolis/Chicago to the Pacific Northwest and were highlighted on the airline's winter Florida routes. Sadly after jets pretty much took over most long and medium range routes, most of Northwest's Electras were relegated to short haul and "milk run" services. I do remember one cross country Electra flight in the mid to late 60s between Seattle and Washington DC that made stops in Washington State, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, a total of 13 hours.

[@iFlyTheWorld]

Thanks for posting this. Great to see the Ansett , TAA, Qantas and TEAL footage.

[@BrassLock]

I too was pleased to see the Australian liveries featured. In the early 60s (1963 I think), I flew TAA from Perth to Sydney and loved the huge oval windows giving fabulous views of the "great brown land".

[@craigpennington1251]

Too bad they're not still in service. After all the bugs were worked out, it was a great airliner.

[@kingdomofgenevamapping]

i think buffalo airways stills uses them

[@alhanes5803]

@@kingdomofgenevamapping Yes, I think they have 4.

[@kingdomofgenevamapping]

@@alhanes5803 huh

[@usmale4915]

What a great video. I wish I could have taken a flight on this beautiful Lockheed L-188A Electra. Would have been a big thrill for me. Thank you this very detailed upload!

[@invisibleink2644]

Maybe not--of the 170 planes produced, at least 58 have been lost to crashes or accidents.

[@LMTDDS]

At 6:07 the little girl has a right black eye.

[@mrrolandlawrence]

gotta love 4 engine turboprops!

[@HairHoFla]

My father flew these as a pilot for Eastern Airlines

[@stuart.8273]

Just 80% finished a Kindle book about the entire history. Can hardly switch it off. Much praised, much maligned for the crashes and yet thoroughly and permanently fixed with the amazing industry research and cooperation of all its competitors. Because of that, all of the aircraft manufacturers gained incredible scientific knowledge - just like what occured with the Viscount Comet crashes. Still lives on as another famous star - the Orion

[@daleeasternbrat816]

I was 4 at the time and an Eastern Brat. I was most impressed with machines. Flying machines most of all. They tested the engines for the Electra on an old test bed Constellation . I remember seeing that a long time ago and stumbled across it recently. The performance of the Constellation turboprop would be interesting .

[@jamesfaber6959]

Still recall the distinctive sound of the turboprop engines. American & Northwest Electras passed over my home frequently on the way to Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) during the 1960s. There were Capital Viscounts too. Similar sound as they cruised over on the way to Detroit Willow Run Airport (YIP).

[@guillermojimenezcastelblan8456]

The footage here is very remakable, and nostalgic as well. Let me tell you about a Hijacked aircraft here at Colombia, a SAM airline, HK1274 Electra, back in 1973. Almost 4 days, flying across South America and thousands of nautical miles in the process. It is an amazing story, please, check it out. Just take a look of old Medellin Olaya Herrera Airport, in the middle of the city, with lot of hills out limits, and we can see how this Electra did operate in this particular airfield. Awesome airplane!!!.

[@MrShobar]

Nice view of the Weber air-stairs at 11:03.

[@gustavohenriqueF1]

Feliz de que pôde voar nessa lenda pela Ponte Aérea Rio X São Paulo na nossa querida VARIG. O som e os canudos de fumaça preta que os Allison T-56 deixavam nas decolagens eram incríveis.

[@Bisamberg]

So did I - a few times during the early 80’s: agreat experience.

[@luizantoniofernandes1075]

Bem lembrado....Ponte Aérea....CGH...SDU....CGH🛩🎼🎵🎶👏👏👏👏👏💯☕

[@ligeiasinistra879]

Talking about VARIG...1927, Rio Grande do Sul... Grew up to be a nice and reputable airline. The government just abandoned this company. What a shame!

[@jimandmandy]

Flew on one once, LAX-SAC. We were bumped from our usual United DC-6 and they sent us over to Western, who was using the Electra on that route. Pure luxury compared to the old Douglas. Our group was seated in a semi-circular lounge with a table. Those who have commented on vibration and noise apparently had pure jets, not old recip's for comparison. It was a few years before I experienced a DC-8.

[@zekeonstormpeak4186]

They were a perfect plane for the niche they were designed to fill. They were great for medium to short haul routes. After a bad design flaw was corrected they continued for decades to come. I had the privilege to fly on two flights with Denver POC during the 70s.

[@supertyfon1736]

710 miles in 1:41 (421.7 mph 678.6 kph 366.4 kts) 2565 miles in 6:13 (412.6 mph 664.0 kph 358.5 kts) 3220 miles in 7:55 (406.7 mph 654.5 kph 353.4 kts) making it one of the fastest turboprops from the 50's.

[@shaanali6965]

Love the commentator. He sounds like an aviator. Pretty much any journalist from 50-70’s sounds the same.

[@Mark_Ocain]

Great plane (wing cracks aside). The timing sucked though. By the time this lovely plane entered service, Boeing already had the 720 online and the 727 was in development. Douglas were to come along with the DC-9 (DC-3/GT LOL to drive the final nail in the coffin of intermediate distance turboprops for commercial use. The nice thing about the Electra was that it operated economically on a number of segment distances, making it an ideal 'milk run' passenger ship.

[@charlesmiddleton9952]

Great looking aircraft.

[@wallybeckett380]

I had the pleasure of flying a good many prop aircraft both recip and jet but the L88 Electra was my favorite. Powerful and quiet plus so nice to fly. I flew it until EAL retired this fine aircraft. There are a few still flying freight, Fire fighting etc. WB

[@FlavioSpirit]

Boa noite meu Amigo !!!! Aeronave fantástica. Esse foi o avião mais amado da história do Brasil. Deixou muita saudade. Lindo demais, absolutamente fantástico. Muito obrigado pelo vídeo e parabéns pelo canal. Abraço do Brasil......

[@robertdewoody7575]

Great airliner. I rode it when I was 15 years old. Eastern Airlines.

[@johnshields6852]

I was born that year, 1960. I love that airplane, beautiful design.

[@loboapaixonado5675]

esse avião foi o simbolo de uma era de ouro. um dos meus preferidos.

[@timmotel5804]

5/2023: I have flown on them with American Airlines. My dad worked for American. Beautiful airplane and that wonderful sound.

[@captspock1]

No mention of the cracks that developed on the wings?

[@vinnylovesretro]

Three failures - three wings torn apart resulting in fatal accidents - rough start. Very cool the P3 Orion was able to keep production going.

[@MrShobar]

4:52. Lockheed test pilot Herman P. "Fish" Salmon. Again at 6:20.

[@andymadden8183]

The Electra remains the only large turboprop airliner built in the USA.

[@badcompany-w6s]

Beautiful plane. My shop fan at work sounds like one of those Electra engines. One of my co-workers said that fan is loud! I said yeah. Sounds like an Electra. He said what is that? I said never mind. 😆

[@takenbythewindNdrivenbythesea]

Aviation at it’s peak 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Patrick-eieio]

I rode on 2 flights of Electra's into and out of LaGuadia. What I remember is the viabration which I felt, even to my teeth which sort of vibrated.

[@jphritz011]

Those were some beautiful birds!

[@maskedavenger2578]

The Bristol Britannia & Vickers Vanguard looked better .

[@StellarBlue1]

You can literally see the tremendous power this aircraft had. Engines so strong, they unfortunately tore themselves off in the beginning of its service life. This is a plane I would have no problem flying it into a virtual hurricane.

[@stratus262j2]

Like many new airplanes the Electra had some issues but overall it was a fine airplane. When I flew the military version, the P3, we could shut down two engines and fly well on the remaining two in cruise configuration.

[@bruceblake9942]

I note that this promotional film does not mention the 'propeller whirl' failures which brought down three Electra's over USA. They screamed wingless, vertically into the ground. It was this failure which required the re-alignment of the engine thrust line. [Aussie in BC]

[@jimjonrs3932]

The engine re-alignment was for noise reduction. Strengthening the engine mounts and wing skins solved the whirl mode wing failures.

[@HEDGE1011]

Because the promotional film was made before the accidents for starters.

[@alhanes5803]

@@HEDGE1011 Now come on HEDGE. Don't let the facts get in the way. You're gonna make the bashers mad. lol

[@alanstevens1296]

@@HEDGE1011 One of them happened in 1959.

[@jackmiller1490]

I never got to fly on the Electra, however my only experience with it was not good. I was attending flight school in Ardmore Okla with American Flyers in April 22,1966. Flight 280 was a Military Air Command charter flight from California to Ardmore which crashed about 1.5 miles NE of the airport around 2030 hrs. Four of us were playing poker in the barracks when one guy bared in to tell us a plane crashed near airport. One of the guys knew the area so we piled in his car and got to the crash site about 30 minutes after it crashed. We all thought it was going to be a small plane that crashed, but it was an Electra carry 80+ young soldiers all about my age 18 to 20 years old. A few years after....i came across some pictures that were taken that night, and i was in one of them. It was an horrendous experience....i wish i had never gotten in the car that night!

[@coriscotupi]

Gotta love the marketing guys. Propeller oscillation-induced catastrophic failures were reduced to "noise" issues in the promo film! The Electra eventually turned into a great airliner, but by the time the vibration problems were ironed out, it was commercially doomed by jets.

[@MrNorthernRed]

I believe this promo film was made before the "whirl mode" catastrophic wing failures manifested the weakness in the engine mounts- but even without those crashes, props were out of fashion with the flying public: the 707 set the style, & the American purchase of Caravelles for short-range domestic flights finished the Electra's chances. Poor Lockheed- the Electra II & the L-1011 were both fantastic aircraft that failed in the marketplace.

[@coriscotupi]

Chris - " both fantastic aircraft that failed in the marketplace" ==> Indeed. The Electra II eventually made it into Varig's shuttle service between Rio and Sao Paulo in Brazil where it was was loved by passengers and pilots alike. It flew this service for decades at more than 60 flights per day, yielding over 700K landings without a single fatal incident. The L-1011 was also a superb aircraft, but the Lockheed sales guys got it all wrong by committing to unrealistic delivery schedules to airlines, which increased substantially its manufacturing costs.

[@MrNorthernRed]

corisco tupi Not to mention the trouble Rolls-Royce had with bankruptcy & not being able to meet delivery schedules with the (also excellent) RB-211 engines! I live in Montreal, close to Dorval/Trudeau Airport, and still miss the sound of Air Canada's L-1011s. Flew to Los Angeles and back aboard one, wonderful aircraft.

[@coriscotupi]

+*Chris Last* I never flew in a Tristar (wish I did), but did get to fly in the Electra II a number of times. Back when I lived in Rio, the sound of the Electra II was almost part of the scenery, it came and went into a very central airport (Santos Dumont) every 15 mins and from almost every point in town you could see and hear those wonderful aircraft approach and depart. Good days gone. As for the RB-211, check "RB-211 backyard" here in KZbin for a number of videos with this engine running in an amateur mechanic's back yard, restored by himself, in case you haven't seen them yet. Cheers!

[@MrNorthernRed]

Yes, I've seen that one- be a little scary to live next door to someone like that, wouldn't it? Still, amazing that he managed to do it! :-)

[@charlesnash4579]

My father flew the American Airlines Electra in this video shown at 11:11.

[@daleeasternbrat816]

The Electra, the L- 188, the P-3, beautiful and useful and beautiful. I have been flying them since I was a little kid. An Eastern Brat.

[@johneddy908]

Eastern has the distinction of having flown every type of Lockheed commercial aircraft, from the piston-powered L-10 Electra and Constellation series to the Electra II to the pure-jet L-1011 TriStar.

[@1ambrose100]

Wonderful P-3 Orion anti-submarine version but by 1960 the B-707 and DC-8 were the new dames in town. Eastern Airlines put all its eggs in the Electra basket, always a few years behind the competition. And those seagulls at Logan did it in for passenger travel.

[@BPBEN]

The L-188 had persistent problems with the main spar rotting out, from the inside. I operated some (the old Zantop fleet) and we had to keep guys busy x-raying the spar, boring out core samples, and doing plug repairs to the spar. Pain in the ass and it was because of the aluminum casting they used for the spar. It was a great idea that just didn't work. Of course, C-130s also have substantial wing/spar problems. Lockheed did it again! I had 13 of the aircraft. Some were sold to Buffalo Airways and they had a gear lock-down problem and put down starboard gear up on the ice, with a film crew on board. You can see it on Ice Pilots.

[@69Phuket]

I'm sold! Hardly surprising they are still being used (or were?) I saw the Reeve Aleutian Airways video. The pilots had great confidence in their plane despite losing controls for a time. Mechanical controls.

[@raleighprater1662]

Lived 1 mile north of KYIP in the late 80 early 90s .. Don't miss the sound of them 3AM runups..Converts Jet A to noise..Lol..

[@MrShobar]

Herman P. "Fish" Salmon, Lockheed pilot, shown at 4:52.

[@JJVernig]

KLM had a reasonable experience with the Lockheed Electra as far as a prop airline could in the 60s. It wasn’t a jet and passenger weren’t enthusiast . A story my grandfather told was the first press flight: A retour flight Amsterdam-Nice with Dutch press didn’t all go well: A journalist was locked in the toilet, and after landing in Nice when they opened the cockpit window with some heft, the complete internal electricity dropped out. The catch internally pushed through the cable. The flight engineer (which my grandfather was) had his work cut out on the tarmac in Nice. All the planes did get checked and most had some damage cable behind the window frame.

[@chucklamont9778]

The Lockheed Electra L-188 my first aircraft to fly as a first officer for Air Florida in the 1970's, quite an aircraft, fast, unique cockpit setup, all in all handled fairly well. A little known story of the Electra, as I heard it, a DC-8 departed JFK followed 40 minutes later by a Lockheed Electra both headed to Los Angeles, (airlines) unknown the Lockheed Electra landed 30 minutes ahead of the DC-8, these Electra's were THAT fast. Loud, noisy heavy vibration all the time the airlines wanted jet aircraft and the Electra went the way of the by-by, and yes the Ice-Pilots aircrews still flying them...

[@mcdonnell220]

Great post, thanks!

[@captbrakeset7630]

Envious. I believe NW flew nonstop red-eye SEA-LGA with an Electra and possibly AA flew nonstop overnight SFO to either DC or NYC using an Electra. That would have been quite the flight. The video says an Electra delivery flight flew Burbank to HNL in 6:15 - today it's just 45 minutes less on the jet of your choice. Not bad, Electra! I think all the Electras are grounded now - the 580s are also, I believe. Corrosion? Wing skin?

[@josekirchner4040]

Unfortunately, the original A models occasionally suffered from “whirl mode” and she’d their wings. Once they figured out the problem and instituted the LEAP program, they were a very safe aircraft.

[@rocketeerPM2500]

Correction, SHED their wings. "She'd" is a contraction of "she would". Where the hell has our classic English language gone? Disable your auto-correct or whatever.

[@judgegixxer]

One of these parks by my house every summer working as a water bomber.

[@michaelwallbrown3726]

what is the airplane in the background at 4:56

[@captbrakeset7630]

That is a Lockheed Constellation but I'm unsure which version. When Eastern ordered their 40 Electras, then also took a handful of new Constellations. To order more piston-engine equipment at that time raised plenty of eyebrows at the airline.

[@mikeklaene4359]

Turbo-Prop engines are very efficient. Instead of a prop, all newer airliners use a 'fan' that is ducted. Essentially a multi-bladed prop with a shroud around it. The Dornier 328 prop jet was almost as fast as a 'pure' jet but used less fuel. The flying public does not seeing propellers.

[@maxpenn6374]

I'm not the typical flying public. My reasons are completely unscientific. Propellers evoke a more romantic era of flying. Modern prop airliners carry fewer passengers and load and unload much faster. The ten minutes "saved" by jet between RNO and PDX are used up boarding and deplaning.

[@alhanes5803]

@@maxpenn6374 Mike obviously doesn't know how a jet engine works.

[@Greatdome99]

When I worked at Boeing, I knew a guy who used to work for American Airlines. When Lockheed came knocking to sell their L-1011, American wouldn't even let them in the door. American lost a lot of money on its fleet of Electras, including a fatal crash. (My first flight was on a PSA Electra in 1964--nice ride, as I recall).

[@scottbarron611]

Greatdome99 Kind of ironic, though, isn't Greatdome. American had some bad luck with Electras, shuts the door on the L1011, purchases DC10's (which end up having multiple issues of their own with several airlines), then circumvents maintenance guidelines in an effort to save time and money and ends up with the worst single plane accident in US history with AA Flight 191. Even after the crash, they tried to trash McDonald Douglas and the engine maker (trashed the Eastbourn Report on their maintenance shortcomings to hide their screw-ups), then made it a living hell for the survivors when they tried to get just compensation for their screw-ups. Ironically,the L1011 was a much more stable aircraft with less issues than the DC10...so in my opinion, they bit it. Also, given their current customer satisfaction rating, service, and overall operations, I avoid AA as much as possible in my business travels.....

[@scottgibson6735]

my first time flying alone was in the early1960s from Savannah Ga to New York.Themplane,an Elekta was something I had ne'er seen beforeimenjoyed the flight an d don'remember the noise being too bad.When I flew home at Christmas,the Elektra had been replaced with a 727that felt like a big step up?The 727 was one of my favorite jetliners until my first flight on as747.Flyiing first clas on a 747 is still one the best experiencesIve had on a commercial flight.not quite the same as first takeoff in a Cessna152as PICbut still memorable

[@sjoldtimer]

The DC-10 had some system redundancy and systems default issues that were amplified by multiple mishaps. In American's case, their own procedures were to blame for the Chicago crash, although many who know much more than me have said that the plane should have still flown even when that engine fell off. The forward slat on that side should have defaulted to the the down position, which it apparently did not....if it only were really that simple. I rode on the L-1011 a few times and it was a nice aircraft...Lockheed however, was fighting a losing battle in the commercial airliner market by that time.

[@alhanes5803]

@@sjoldtimer Yeah, it's too bad. L1011 is the best plane I ever flew on. Lockheed was a great company. They put together the SR71.

[@gregmoyer8959]

What a gorgeous aircraft would love to fly in one 😊

[@gobysky]

I remember flying the airline as a kid in those days. Big comfortable seats and no TSA. Now I’d rather drive.

[@stein1385]

Id love to witness this play off of an old school projector upon screen

[@mcdonnell220]

Yeah, anyone know the titles of any of the stock music used here, and the Delta 880 promo, please let me know, would like to use some of it in future video projects, thanks!

[@bakhirun]

I had to smile because some of the "needle-droppings" used on the sound track of this ironic promo were the same ones I laid down in GLORIA GORILLA YAKULTS IT UP here on KZbin. They are from the Capitol 'Hi-Q' Library. I got a snarky warning from YT when I first uploaded the piece, stating "You're using copyrighted material but no one has complained yet". That was a couple of years ago. The Hi-Q Library, with its "Comic to Danger" type of stingers, is really very useful. Don't think though that it's Public Domain yet.

[@johneddy98033]

@S787iFly, when TAA received its first Convair 240, it had to fly eastward over nearly three quarters of the world (to the best of my knowledge) because it did not have the range to fly across the Pacific. The Electra II (surprisingly) could fly across the Pacific with ease and Honolulu was fuel stop for Electra II delivery flights not only to Ansett, but also to TAA, TEAL, Cathay Pacific and Garuda Indonesia.

[@DennisMerwood-xk8wp]

The last P3 Orion (Lockheed Electra) was decommissioned by the RNZAF in 2021 Royal New Zealand Air Force-operated Lockheed P-3K2 Orion - serial NZ4203 - departed RNZAF Base Auckland, Whenuapai, for the final time in its 55-year (!) service with the force on September 24, 2021. (March 27, 1965: While on a training flight, a Tasman Empire Airways L-188 crashed while landing at Whenuapai airport in Auckland, New Zealand. Although the aircraft was completely destroyed, all occupants escaped with only one minor injury.)

[@curtiscains8533]

Yeah P-3’s!!! With the modified centerline tank these babies could loiter for almost 24 hours. The Navy loved these. They were cheap to operate. With these days of COVID these planes were ideal for small passenger loads and regional routes 1000 miles or less. DeHavillin Dash-8 extended is making a comeback. Turboprop Aircraft is not the fastest but can prove very reliable and efficient and cost effective....

[@billbright1755]

An amazingly small wing.

[@captbrakeset7630]

When pilots in an early training group got their first look at the Electra, one of them reportedly said, "Where's the wing?" Actually the wing span is just a couple feet less than the fuselage length. The big props and the engines mounted over top of the wings make an illusion. Also it was a new airfoil with equipment normally housed in the wing placed in "stations" in the belly (Hydraulics, A/C and pressurization systems). To this day, some say that the Electra had the best heating and cooling system ever put in an airplane.

[@gregsells8549]

11:58 Greater Southwest International/Amon Carter Field?

[@eaterofclams]

...once that annoying bug of having the wings break off ["whirl mode"] was addressed, she was a great bird.

[@MerleOberon]

And today, the Electra descendants are searching for MH370

[@scottsaulsbury4887]

***** The Electra is the base airframe from which the P-3 was derived from. Orions were involved in the search.

[@mark5862]

Once upon a time, they actually made things in California besides porn and criminals.

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

Too bad about the wings falling off. Had this not happened it would have been successful in airline service. Most airlines got rid of them relatively soon, but I remember that PSA flew them for years between San Francisco and Southern California. And the P3 Orion is still flying today for the Navy.

[@stevencramsie9172]

Even without the wing problem, actual jets would’ve made these planes relatively obsolete quickly.

[@kizitoutube]

What's with the apparent radial engine in the starboard outer position at 12:21 to 12:24?

[@WitchidWitchid]

They are not radial piston engines, they are turboprops. It is basically a jet turbine engine that drives a propeller. So, it looks like a traditional piston airliner but it's actually a jet. Turboprop's are common even today on many smaller airliners run by local commuter or connecting airlines.

[@WitchidWitchid]

Ah, ok, I see what you mean... Yeah, for some reason the running engine does look different that what I am used to seeing on an L188.

[@mcdonnell220]

What you are seeing is the black part of the prop rotating...giving the illusion that is the view of cylinder heads.

[@kizitoutube]

Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture Thanks. Now that you mention it I can see some of the outboard wing through it. It's a brilliant illusion though :)

[@mcdonnell220]

Random channel It does indeed create an illusion!

[@gacj2010]

Beautiful looking airplane , but they didn't know that the wings began falling off in flight because of vibration oscillation ... then they were fixed ..but you know once it gets the fear in people ..tough to get confidence back...But I love that plane...Did he say fail safe design ...Oh my God .. I just heard that and tha;;s just what wasn't going on with this airframe

[@markchadwick2286]

Fascinating info...(for a newbie)..😊😊

[@Kwameking1]

Thank you Thank you

[@geomo44094]

Enjoyed the video. Was Braniff crash the incident in Tell City, Indiana ?? Thanks for sharing.