Customer Reviews

Lockheed L-188 Electra - Airliner Tech Vol. 5

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The name Electra was chosen for the new airliner, the Model L-188. Like the model 10 Electra, the L-188 had many advanced features for its era. The L-188 was the fastest commercial turboprop flying, with a cruise speed of over 400 mph. Passenger comfort features included roomy seats, advanced air-condition system, and low noise level, made it popular with airline passengers. The L-188 was more economical to purchase, operate, and maintain, than its contemporaries, which made it popular with airlines. The L-188 also had a long history of military descendants with the P-3 Orion series. Number 5 in the Airliner Tech series from Specialty Press, Jim Upton's Lockheed L-188 Electra is a superb pictorial survey, description, and history of this remarkable and memorable aircraft which is certain to please aircraft buffs of all ages.

I bought this book as a gift for a friend who is an amateur aviation historian and a great fan of the Electra II, but could not resist and bought a copy for me as well.

The book is well documented, with many pictures and diagrams covering the history of the L-188, the variations and derivatives. A good coverage of the "whirl mode flutter" problem that led to two fatal accidents is provided, as well as the of corrective LEAP program (Lockheed Electra Action Program).

Very informative, and not too technical, this book is acessible to the lay person interested in this historic airliner. I travelled a lot on the Electra II in my youth, it was used to make the shuttle connection between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and reading this book and watching the pictures brought back some good memmories.