Lockheed's first major move towards becoming a significant transport aircraft manufacturer came with the Lockheed 10 Electra design. Providing accommodation for ten passengers, the Electra was a cantilever low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, with retractable tailwheel landing gear and a tail unit incorporating twin fins and rudders. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior SBs, the prototype was flown for the first time on 23 February 1934, followed by 148 production aircraft. The Electra entered service in 1934, initially with Northwest Airlines, and in the late 1930s, was used by eight American operators. By the time the USA became involved in World War II, however, few remained in national airline service, for the rapid growth in air travel had already shown these small-capacity aircraft to be uneconomical. In addition to those built for the home market, Electras were exported to Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, USSR, UK, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia. Small numbers also saw service in the Spanish Civil War and with the outbreak of World War II the type was impressed for service with the Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force. The L10s were also used for corporate transportation and long-distance flights, most notably that of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan, who vanished without trace crossing the Pacific during their world flight in 1937. Use of the Electra by small civil operators continued after the war, as it was cheap to buy and operate, but few remained in service after the late 1960s.
