Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra | This Day in Aviation

Squadron Leader James Addams, RAF, at left, and Kelly Johnson with the Lockheed B14L, N7205, Union Air Terminal, Burbank, California, December 1938. (Unattributed)

10 December 1938: At the Union Air Terminal, Burbank, California, Squadron Leader James Addams and Squadron Leader Randle, both Royal Air Force officers, took the prototype Lockheed B14L for its first flight.

The prototype Lockheed B-14L (Hudson Mk.I, N7205) photographed during its first flight, 10 December 1938. Note the mockup dorsal gun turret and painted-out British insignia. (W.J. “Billy” Gray)

The B14L (also identified as Model 214-40-01) was a twin engine light bomber developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Company from its Model 14 Super Electra civil transport. Both types were designed by the legendary Clarence L. (“Kelly”) Johnson. The prototype was purchased by Great Britain and designated Hudson Mk.I. It was assigned the R.A.F. identification N7205.

(Los Angeles Times, Vol. LVIII, Thursday Morning, 22 December 1938, Page 9, Columns 2–4)

Squadron Leader James Addams, RAF, and Clarence L. (“Kelly”) Johnson shake hands in front of the prototype Lockheed B14L (Hudson Mk.I N7205) at Union Air Terminal, Burbank, California, December 1938. (The Honolulu Advertiser, Vol. 83, No. 18,694, Saturday, 31 December 1938, Page 2, Columns 3–6_)

Lockheed Hudson Mk.I N7205 was partially disassembled and transported to England aboard a ship. (Royal Air Force)

Lockheed Hudson Mk.I N7205 at RAF Northolt, South Ruislip, near London, England,1939. (RAF Museum PC98/173/5840/14)

Gunnery tests of the prototype were carried out near Daggett, in the Mojave Desert of southern California, 100 statute miles (161 kilometers) northeast of Burbank.

The Lockheed Hudson was a twin-engine, mid-wing light bomber with conventional retractable landing gear. It was operated by a pilot, navigator/bombardier, radio operator/gunner, and a gunner in a dorsal power-operated turret. The Mk.I was 44 feet 3-7/8 inches (13.510 meters) long, with a wingspan of 65 feet, 6 inches (19.964 meters), and height of 11 feet, 10 inches (3.607 meters). It had an empty weight of 11,630 pounds (5,275 kilograms), and maximum gross weight of 17,500 pounds (7,938 kilograms).

Hudson Mark III, V8977: cabin interior with pilot’s position on the left. Photograph taken at Eastleigh, Hampshire. Photographed 24 July 1942. (Imperial War Museum, Royal Air Force Aircraft 1941–1959: ATP Collection (GSA 325). © IWM ATP 10925F )

The Hudson Mk.I was powered by two air-cooled, supercharged, 1,823.129-cubic-inch-displacement (29.875 liter) Wright Aeronautical Division Cyclone 9 GR-1820-G102A radial engines with a compression ratio of 6.3:1. They had a normal power rating of 900 horsepower at 2,200 r.p.m., at Sea Level, and 1,100 horsepower at 2,200 r.p.m. for takeoff. The engines drove three-blade adjustable pitch propellers through a 0.6875 gear reduction. The GR-1820-G102A was 4 feet, 0.12 inch (1.222 meters) long, 4 feet, 7.10 inches (1.400 meters) in diameter, and weighed 1,275 pounds (578 kilograms).

The Hudson Mk.I had a cruise speed of 220 miles per hour (354 km/h), and maximum speed of 246 miles per hour (396 km/h) at 6,500 feet (1,981 meters). Its service ceiling was 25,000 feet (7,620 meters), and its range, 1,960 miles (3,153 kilometers).

The Hudson was armed with two fixed, forward-firing .303-caliber (7.7 × 56mmR) Browning Mk.II machine guns located above the bombardier’s compartment, two .303 Mk.II guns in a power-operated Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd. dorsal turret and a fifth flexible mount .303 machine gun was located in a ventral position. Each of these guns were capable of firing at a rate of 1,150 rounds per minute.

The bomber could carry four 250 pound (113 kilogram) bombs, or ten 100 pound (45 kilogram) bombs in an internal bomb bay.

“Armourers secure 250-lb GP bombs in the bomb bay of a Lockheed Hudson of No. 224 Sqyadron RAF at RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland.” (Flight Lieutenant Stanley Devon, RAF/Imperial War Museums CH 979)

British purchasing Commission contracted for 250 Hudson Mk.I bombers, 23 June 1938. Deliveries began in February 1939, with the 250th Hudson Mk.I delivered in October 1939.

Lockheed built 2,941 Hudson bombers in a number of configurations. 351 of these were Hudson Mk.Is.

Lockheed Hudson Mk.I N7220 (B14L-1616) at Grand Central Air Terminal, Glendale, California, circa 1938. The Boulton Paul dorsal gun turrets would be installed after arrival in Great Britain. (AirHistory.net)

Hudson Mark I, N7326 ZS-F (B14L-1622), of No. 233 Squadron RAF based at Aldergrove, County Antrim, preparing to take off from Leuchars, Fife.
IWM CH 2429

Lockheed Hudson twin-engine bombers being assembled. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Hudson assembly line. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed AT-18A-LO Hudson 42-55569, s/n 414-7291.

Clarence Leonard "Kelly" Johnson. (guggenheimedal.org) — Clarence Leonard “Kelly” Johnson. (guggenheimedal.org)

Clarence Leonard (“Kelly”) Johnson was born at Ishpeming, Michigan, United States of America, 27 February 1910. He was the third of five children of Peter Johnson, a stone mason, and Kjrstie Anderson Johnson. His parents were immigrants from Sweden.

Kelly Johnson attended Flint Central High School, graduating in 1928. After studying at a community college, Johnson transferred to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He graduated in 1932 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering (B.S.E. AeroE.). He won the Frank Sheehan Scholarship in Aeronautics, which enabled him to continue at the University to earn a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering (M.S.E.) in 1933.

Kelly Johnson started working as a tool designer for the Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California, in 1933. After transferring to the engineering department, he was assigned to the company’s Model 10 Electra project. Johnson identified a stability problem with the airplane’s design, and he was sent back to the University of Michigan to conduct a wind tunnel study which resulted in his proposal of the twin vertical tail configuration which was a characteristic of many Lockheed airplanes that followed. Johnson also served as a flight test engineer for the airplane.

A genius of aeronautical engineering and design, he was responsible for all of Lockheed’s most famous aircraft: the Lockheed Hudson and Neptune medium bombers, the P-38 Lightning twin-engine fighter, the P-80 Shooting Star, America’s first full-production jet fighter. He designed the beautiful Constellation airliner. The list is seemingly endless: The F-94 Starfire, F-104 Starfighter, U-2, A-12 Oxcart and the SR-71 Blackbird.

Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson conducted wind tunnel testing of the Lockheed Model 10 at the University of Michigan. (Lockheed Martin)

The prototype Lockheed Model 10 Electra NX233Y during flight testing. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Model 12 Electra Jr. (SDASM Catalog #: 01_00091568)

Lockheed YP-38 Lightning (U.S. Air Force)

Lockheed Model 14-N2 Super Electra Special, c/1419, NX18973. (San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive)

Lockheed Model 414 Hudson (A-29A-LO) in U.S. Army Air Corps markings. (U.S. Air Force)

Prototype Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar, NX17385. (Lockheed Martin)

Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson (left) and Chief Engineering Test Pilot Milo G. Burcham, with the XC-69. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed XC-69 prototype, NX25600, landing at Burbank Airport. (Lockheed Martin)

The Lockheed XP-80 prototype, 44-83020, at Muroc AAF, 8 January 1944. (Lockheed Martin)

Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson with a scale model of a Lockheed P-80A-1-LO Shooting Star. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed XP2V-1 Neptune prototype, Bu. No. 48237, 1945. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed TP-80C-1-LO (T-33A) prototype, 48-356, with P-80C-1-LO Shooting Star 47-173, at Van Nuys Airport, California. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed YF-94 prototype, 48-356. (See TP-80C prototype, above.) (U.S. Air Force)

Lockheed XF-104 prototype, 53-7786, photographed 5 May 1954. (Lockheed Martin)

Kelly Johnson seated in the cockpit of a prototype Lockheed XF-104 Starfighter. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed U-2, “Article 001” (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation prototype, NX6700, ex-L-049 NX25600. (Lockheed Martin)

The second Lockheed L-1649A Starliner, delivered to Trans World Airlnes in September 1957. (Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed EC-121T Warning Star. (U.S. Air Force)

Lockheed SR-71A 69-7953. (U.S. Air Force)

Clarence L. (“Kelly”) Johnson, Director of Lockheed’s Advanced Development Projects (“the Skunk Works”) with the first YF-12A interceptor, 60-6934. (Lockheed Martin)

Kelly Johnson was married three times. He married Miss Althea Louise Young, who worked in Lockheed’s accounting department, in 1937. She died of cancer in December 1969. He then married Miss Maryellen Elberta Meade, his secretary, at Solvang, California, 20 May 1971. She died 13 October 1980 of complications of diabetes. He married his third wife, Mrs. William M. Horrigan (née Nancy M. Powers), a widow, and MaryEllen’s best friend, 21 November 1980. Johnson had no children.

Kelly Johnson retired from Lockheed in 1975 as a senior vice president. He remained on the board of directors until 1980.

Clarence Leonard Johnson died 21 December 1990 at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Burbank, California, after a long period of hospitalization. He was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California.

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10 December 1938

Clarence Leonard (“Kelly”) Johnson (27 February 1910–21 December 1990)