- The Lockheed L‐10A Electra arrives to
permanent home for the public to enjoy
Editor's Note: A video celebrating CF-TCC's arrival
at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western
Canada can be found here.
MONTREAL, Sept. 7,
2022 /CNW Telbec/ - In celebration of its 85th
anniversary, Air Canada today donated its historic aircraft, an
original Lockheed L-10A Electra airplane to Winnipeg's Royal Aviation Museum of
Western Canada. The iconic
aircraft, the first fleet type flown by the carrier, made its final
journey as it taxied from the Air Canada hangar at Winnipeg International Airport to the Museum
at a handover ceremony. The airplane will go on permanent public
display as an iconic piece of aviation history.
The aircraft, with registration CF-TCC, was one of three
purchased by Air Canada's forerunner, Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA),
in 1937. It was until recently one of only two Lockheed L10-A
Electra aircraft still flying in the world.
Named after a bright star in the Pleiades star cluster, the 10A
Electra was the pride of the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. In the
1930s, this twin-engine, all-metal monoplane was the exciting new
face of commercial aviation.
"There is no more fitting preservation and commemoration for one
of our original aircraft than to have TCC be on permanent display
in Winnipeg, which was one of
TCA's original hubs when the airline began operations in 1937
thanks to its central location in our country. Air Canada has a long and rich history connecting
Canadians from coast to coast which continues to this day, and it
all started with the Lockheed L-10A 85 years ago. As we celebrate
our 85th anniversary, we mark this milestone by ensuring
that such an important part of Canadian aviation history will be
available for Canadians and aviation enthusiasts to enjoy for many
years to come," said Captain Murray
Strom, Senior Vice President – Flight Operations at Air
Canada.
"We're very pleased that CF-TCC has landed at the Royal Aviation
Museum and is now part of our permanent collection. This aircraft
has ties to Winnipeg dating back
to 1937 and to our museum in particular," notes Museum President
& CEO Terry Slobodian. "Our
museum was previously located in the original TCA hangar here in
Winnipeg. The Lockheed Electra is
a perfect picture of the early days of commercial air travel in
Canada. We are grateful to Air
Canada for their longstanding support of our museum and for
entrusting us with this spectacular piece of aviation history."
The History of CF-TCC
CF-TCC was one of three L-10A aircraft purchased by Trans-Canada
Air Lines. The L-10A aircraft type operated TCA's inaugural flight
on September 1, 1937, a 50-minute
trip from Vancouver to
Seattle carrying mail and two
passengers.
TCA had acquired the route plus two Lockheed L‐10A aircraft from
Canadian Airways. In that same month, TCA bought three additional
Lockheed L‐10A aircraft, brand new, from the Lockheed factory for
$73,000 each. These aircraft were
dubbed the "Three Sisters" and carried the registrations CF‐TCA,
CF‐TCB, and CF‐TCC. The first aircraft, CF‐TCA is now at the
Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. CF-TCC last flew in 2018, and was one
of two remaining Lockheed L‐10A Electra aircraft still flying in
the world.
After being operated by TCA from 1937 to 1939, CF‐TCC was sold
to the Department of Transport – Canada. During the next 40 years, the aircraft
was sold several times to various private corporations and
individuals.
In 1962, CF-TCC was leased by TCA and six of the original TCA
pilots operated a commemorative flight across Canada on the occasion of TCAs 25th
Anniversary.
In 1975, a retired Air Canada employee recognized the faded old
registration marks on the aircraft while attending an air show in
Texas. Air Canada kept track of the aircraft until 1983,
at which point the airline purchased back the aircraft, restored
it, and flew it during the Air Canada 50th Anniversary celebrations
in 1986. At the end of the Fifty stop Canadian tour, CF‐TCC was
featured in the Air Canada pavilion during Expo 86 in Vancouver.
Since 1986, the aircraft has been maintained in flying
condition. Volunteers and support from the broader aviation
community, including from Air Canada Maintenance and Flight
Operations, over the years have dedicated thousands of
hours of personal time and other contributions into
keeping CF‐TCC flying for generations to enjoy. When not flying,
the aircraft has been based in the Western Canada Aviation Museum
in Winnipeg, Manitoba, or stored
in Air Canada's Winnipeg
hangar.
On September 21, 2007, it
recreated TCA's first flight from Vancouver to Seattle, marking Air Canada's 70th
Anniversary.
In 2012, as part of Air Canada's 75th Anniversary Celebrations,
CF‐TCC made several air show and public appearances, showcasing Air
Canada's heritage and the history of commercial aviation in
Canada.
In 2017 to mark the carrier's 80th anniversary, Air Canada's
Lockheed 10A took to the skies for a cross country tour, beginning
with a public appearance at the Royal Aviation Museum in
Winnipeg. Along the way, the
aircraft made stops in Vancouver,
Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder
Bay, Sudbury, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Quebec
City.
In 2022, on occasion of Air Canada's
85th anniversary, the airline's Lockheed 10A made
its final journey to the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg. CF-TCC was taxied to the Museum from
Air Canada's Hangar by the
aircraft's long-time advocates and volunteers,
Retired Captain Robert Giguere, Retired Captain
Gerry Norberg, Retired Aircraft
Maintenance Engineer George
Huntington, and Air Canada Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
Mike Clarkson.
By the Numbers:
1937 Lockheed
L‐10A
Crew: 2 Pilots, 1 Flight
Attendant (known as a
Stewardess in 1937.)
Capacity: 10 passengers
Length: 38 ft 7 in
Wingspan:
55 ft 0 in
Height:
10 ft 1 in
Empty
weight: 6,454 lbs
Max
Weight: 10,500 lbs
Powerplant:
2 × Pratt &
Whitney R‐985
Wasp Junior SB, 450
HP ea.
Cruise speed: 140
knots, 190 mph
Range:
713 miles / 1,147
kilometres
Normal Cruising
Altitude:
6,000 – 10,000 ft
|
|
Boeing
777-300ER
(Air Canada's
largest aircraft)
Crew:
2 or 4 Pilots, up to 12
flight attendants
Capacity:
Up to 450
passengers
Length:
242 ft, 9 in
Wingspan:
213 ft, 3 in
Height:
62 ft, 4 in
Empty
weight: 353,600 lbs
Max
Weight: 775,000 lbs
Powerplant: 2 GE90-115B
engines
Cruise
speed: 484 knots, 557 mph
Range:
9,068 miles / 14,594
kilometres
Normal Cruising
Altitude:
35,000 ft
|
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag
carrier and a founding member of Star
Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation
network celebrating its 25thanniversary in 2022. Air
Canada provides scheduled
passenger service directly to 51 airports in Canada, 51 in the
United States and 86 internationally. It is the only
international network carrier in North
America to receive a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax, which
in 2021 gave Air Canada awards for the Best Airline Staff in
North America, Best Airline Staff
in Canada, Best Business Class
Lounge in North America, and an
excellence award for managing COVID-19. Through its leading
travel loyalty Aeroplan program, Air Canada offers the ability to
earn or redeem points on the world's largest airline partner
network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of
merchandise, hotel and car rental rewards. Its freight division,
Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to
hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada's
passenger flights and cargo-only flights with its fleet of Boeing
767-300 freighters. Air Canada has
committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations
by 2050.
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