Allan and Malcolm Loughead built their first aircraft, the
Model G seaplane, in 1913. Formed the Loughead Aircraft
Manufacturing Company at Santa Barbara, California, in
1916. Built F-1 twin-engined flying-boat 1918, S-1 monocoque-
fuselage biplane 1919. Company liquidated 1921.
The Lockheed Aircraft Company of Hollywood was formed
in 1926. Built the Northrop-designed high-wing
10 Electra
Vega from
1925, a fast two-seater intended for airline work; 141
were built between 1925 and 1932. Company moved to
Burbank 1928. Vega gave rise to low-wing series of transports,
the Altair/Orion/Sirius, differing in seating arrangements.
Many records and notable flights performed on
these aircraft.
In 1929 Lockheed became part of the Detroit Aircraft
Corporation, a multicompany body that went bankrupt in
1931. Lockheed brothers left the company, formed Lockheed
Brothers Aircraft Corporation Company purchased
by Robert
14 Super Electra
E. Cross and Lloyd Stearman for a
consortium, resumed trading under old name. Launched
a new series of twin-engined transports, starting with the
Lockheed 10A Electra. In 1937 the L-14 Super Electra
appeared, a smaller executive version of the L-10A. RAF
bought 250 bomber variants of 14, called Hudson, in 1938.
L-18 Lodestar flew 1939, a lengthened and more powerful
Model 14. Ventura of 1941 was a bomber variant of
Model 18. Naval PV-1
18 Lodestar
came in 1942 and the torpedo-carrying
PV-2 Harpoon in 1943. Success of the Harpoon led
to long-range Neptune, main equipment of patrol
squadrons 1947-1962.
In 1939 TWA formulated a requirement for a long-range
transport and C. L. Johnson designed the 558km/h Constellation, which first flew in 1943. First 22
requisitioned as military transports. Built up to 1958 in
increasingly powerful, larger-capacity and longer-range
versions. First flight August 1954 of C-130 Hercules tactical
military turboprop transport,
P-38 "Lightning"
later also produced in
commercial form; delivered from 1956 and remaining in
production in 1999 in latest C-130J form with fully integrated
digital avionics, advanced engines and propellers,
and other improvements (well over 2,200 Hercules transports
built). C-130 followed by much larger strategic C-
141 StarLifter transport (first flown December 1963) and
C-5A Galaxy (first flown June 1968) which, at 348,810kg gross weight and with a span of 67.88m, was then the world's
F-80 "Shooting Star"
largest operational aircraft;
C-5B followed for USAF and two C-5As modified to
carry outsized space cargoes as C-5Cs. Company also
produced the four-turboprop Electra airliner (first flown
December 1957) and derived P-3 Orion long-range maritime
patrol/reconnaissance aircraft (first flown August 1958, and remaining in production in the U.S.A. until 1995,
although Japanese Kawasaki-built examples continued in
production).
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning of 1939, introduced as
a high-altitude interceptor, had worldwide use, mainly as
ground-attack and fighter-bomber
P-3 "Orion"
aircraft. First U.S. jet
fighter was Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (first flown January
1944), which later saw service in Korea. F-104 of
1954 was smallest-span-ever American service aircraft
(wings spanned 6.7m) and first fighter capable
of sustained Mach 2.0. Saw widespread service as
part of U.S. offshore arms and aid deals. Subsequent activities
included CP-140 Aurora for Canada as a development
of the Orion ;S-3 Viking carrierborne anti-submarine
aircraft (first flown January 1972 and later
SR-71 "Blackbird"
also used by
the U.S. Navy in ES-3A electronic reconnaissance and signals/
communications intelligence, and U.S.-3A carrier onboard
delivery variants); and L-1011 TriStar widebodied
airliner (first flown November 1970).
Secret "Skunk Works"at Palmdale, California, was
responsible for the military U-2 Dragon Lady spyplane (first
flown August 1955), A-12 Mach 3.6 strategic reconnaissance
aircraft sponsored by the CIA (first flown April 1962)
and developed into the YF-12 interceptor and fully operational
SR-71A Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissaace aircraft
for
C-5 "Galaxy"
the USAF, and more recently the F-117A stealth
fighter for subsonic night attack on priority targets (first
flown June 1981; see below), among other types.
In September 1977 Lockheed Aircraft Corporation took
new name Lockheed Corporation. The Tactical Military Aircraft
division of General Dynamics bought by Lockheed
Corporation in March 1993, becoming Lockheed Fort Worth Company. In March 1995 Lockheed Corporation
merged with Martin Marietta to form present Lockheed
Martin Corporation. Intended merger with
F-117 "Nighthawk"
Northrop
Grumman, announced in July 1997, did not take place.
Present company set-up includes Lockheed Martin Tactical
Aircraft Systems in charge of F-16 production and
updates and part of the F-22 program; Lockheed Martin
Aeronautical Systems tasked with F-22, military transport and maritime patrol aircraft work, plus production and support
of C-130 and P-3; and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
which undertakes advanced, secret and innovative
design/development, present work including support and
improvement of F-117A, U-2,
F-22 "Raptor"
X-33 reusable launch vehicle
and more. There are many other divisions.
Current Lockheed Martin programs include continued
production of the F-16 fighter and C-130 transport, development and production of the F-22 Raptor air dominance
fighter (first flown September 1990, with first flight
of an engineering and manufacturing development aircraft
September 1997, and deliveries of full production to start
to USAF in 2002 to allow initial operational capability in
2005); and development in association with Northrop
Grumman and BAe of Joint Strike Fighter for U.S. forces.
