Air New Zealand L-188 Electra (1:200)

In 1954 American Air Lines was in the market for a 75 to 100 passenger aircraft for its short to medium range domestic routes. In response Lockheed developed the low wing L-188 Electra powered by four sleek turboprops instead of the usual large radial engines or jet turbines. The combination of engine and the Hamilton Standard propeller offered a an altitude of 20,000 ' 25,000 feet. When production ended in 1961 there had been 170 Electras completed.

ZK-TEB was the second of three L-188's built for TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited) and named 'Atarau ('Moonlight' in Maori). The aircraft made its first scheduled flight on January 1, 1960. TEAL was partly owned by Australian and New Zealand interests until 1961 when the New Zealand Government bought the Australian shares. In 1965 TEAL was renamed Air New Zealand. In 1972 ZK-TEB was sold to a U.S. company. Over its lifespan this aircraft wore the names of nine different companies. In 2002 the aircraft was with Atlantic Airlines and stored as G-LOFI.

Specifications Lockheed L-188 variants A & C

Cockpit Crew ' 3

Engines ' (4) Allison 501-D13 @ 3,750 hp at take-off
Propellers ' 13.5 ft (4.15 m) diameter propellers ' made by either Aeroproducts or Hamilton Standard.
Fuel Capacity
Variant A - 5,520 gallons (20,900 l)
Variant C - 6,940 gallons (26,270 l)

Performance
Maximum Speed ' 448 mph (720.1 km/h)
Cruise Speed ' 373 mph (600.29 km/h)
Maximum Altitude - 28,400 ft (8,656.3 m)
Range
Variant A - 2,200 miles (3,540.6 km)
Variant C - 2,500 miles (4,023 km)

Weight
Basic Operating
Variant A - 59,338 lb (26,920 kg)
Variant C ' 61,500 lb (27,895 kg)
Maximum Take-off
Variant A - 113,000 lbs (51,256 kg)
Variant C - 116,000 lbs (52,620 kg)

Dimensions
Length ' 104 ft 6 ins (31.85 m)
Wingspan ' 99 ft (30.18 m)

Production ' 170 Electras built 55 were C variants.