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| Lockheed Model 9 Orion | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lockheed Model 9 Orion |
| Caption | Lockheed Orion in 1931 |
| Type | Single-engine mailplane and airliner |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Aircraft Company |
| First flight | 1931 |
| Introduced | 1931 |
| Retired | various |
| Primary user | various airlines |
Lockheed Model 9 Orion The Lockheed Model 9 Orion was a 1930s American single-engine, low-wing monoplane built by Lockheed Aircraft Company for high-speed mail and passenger service. Renowned for its streamlined wooden fuselage and retractable landing gear, the Orion combined innovations from the Lockheed Vega and advanced aerodynamic work that influenced later types such as the Lockheed 10 Electra and Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior. Designed during the Great Depression era, the Orion served with several prominent carriers and record-setting pilots, playing a role in the evolution of early commercial aviation and long-distance air racing.
The Orion emerged from design efforts led by John Knudsen "Jack" Northrop and Kelly Johnson-era engineers at the Lockheed Aircraft Company facility in Burbank. Drawing on the wooden monocoque techniques used in the Lockheed Vega and lessons from the Lockheed Air Express, the Model 9 featured a cantilever low wing, retractable main landing gear developed from contemporary Imperial Airways and Boeing practices, and a streamlined fuselage to minimize drag for mail contracts awarded by the United States Post Office Department. Powerplants included the Wright Whirlwind series and Pratt & Whitney radial engines that were also used in types such as the Ford Trimotor and Douglas DC-2. Early prototypes incorporated aerodynamic refinements influenced by Herman P. Nielson and wind tunnel work at the Caltech and National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics facilities. Variants introduced changes to cockpit visibility, passenger cabin arrangements, and engine cowling similar to modifications seen on the Spirit of St. Louis and competing designs from Boeing Air Transport.
Operators such as Varney Air Lines, TWA, PCA, and Western Air Express used Orions for mail routes and limited passenger services, linking cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and Miami. The Orion achieved fame through record flights by pilots including Roscoe Turner, Jackie Cochran, Jimmy Doolittle, and Eddie August "Eddie" Rickenbacker who exploited its speed in air racing and endurance attempts similar to those staged at National Air Races and the Gordon Bennett Cup. Military interest from the United States Army Air Corps resulted in evaluation trials, while export sales placed Orions with operators in Canada, Mexico, and Chile. Commercial operations often converted mail-configured Orions for executive transport for firms such as Howard Hughes' enterprises and bush operators in the Alaska Territory. The Orion’s high landing speeds and limited payload compared to later twin-engined designs hastened its replacement by aircraft like the Douglas DC-3 and Lockheed Model 10 Electra.
- Model 9: Initial production mail/passenger versions powered by Wright Whirlwind or Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engines, with seating for a pilot and typically two to three passengers; analogous to modifications on the Travel Air 6000. - 9D/9C: Subtype designations reflecting different engine installations and cabin arrangements, similar to variant practices of Lockheed Model 8 Sirius. - Special conversions: Several Orions were modified for long-distance record attempts and executive use by figures such as Charles Lindbergh associates and film industry operators in Hollywood, incorporating auxiliary fuel tanks and modified empennage components used by contemporary long-range conversions.
Civil operators included airlines and companies such as Varney Air Lines, TWA, Western Air Express, Pennsylvania Central Airlines, Western Pacific Airlines (historic), private executives like Howard Hughes, regional operators in Canada and Mexico, and bush operators in the Alaska Territory. Military evaluation involved the United States Army Air Corps and foreign civil aviation authorities in Chile and Peru.
A handful of Orions survive in museums and private collections. Restorations have been undertaken by organizations including the Smithsonian Institution-affiliated National Air and Space Museum restoration teams, the Museum of Flight in Seattle, and private restorers linked to the Commemorative Air Force. Static and taxiable examples are exhibited in institutions covering U.S. aviation history such as the Hiller Aviation Museum and specialized collections associated with antique aircraft preservation groups that also restore types like the Ryan NYP and Lockheed Vega. Ongoing restoration projects often rely on archival material from Lockheed Martin historical archives and documentation from the National Air and Space Museum.
- Crew: 1 (pilot; occasional navigator) - Capacity: 2–3 passengers (typical) - Length: approx. 28 ft (8.5 m) - Wingspan: approx. 45 ft (13.7 m) - Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820 Cyclone or Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine, ~400–600 hp depending on subtype - Maximum speed: ~220–220+ mph (354 km/h) depending on engine and propeller - Range: varies with fuel load; record conversions exceeded transcontinental legs achieved by contemporary airliners - Construction: wooden monocoque fuselage, plywood skin, metal fittings similar to techniques used on the Lockheed Vega and other interwar designs