LOGAIR-Universal Airlines Lockheed L-188 Electra II

Additional Information:

The Lockheed L-188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flown in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner built in the United States. The airplane had airfield performance capabilities unmatched by many jet transport aircraft particularly on short runways and high field elevations. The Model 188 Electra is a low-wing cantilever monoplane powered by four wing-mounted Allison 501-D13 turboprops. It has a retractable tricycle landing gear and a conventional tail. It has a cockpit crew of three and can carry 66 to 80 passengers in a mixed-class arrangement. When jet airliners began replacing turboprops, many of the Electras were modified into freighters. To this day, there are Electras still being used in various roles well into the 21st century.

Universal Airlines was a United States airline that operated from 1966 to 1972 and was based at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Universal developed out of Zantop Air Transport and started with a small fleet of C-46, DC-6, DC-7, Argosy AW650, and Lockheed Electras. Universal operated a number of military contract flights and had become a primary civilian carrier for the military’s Logistics Air Transportation System (LOGAIR) program. The LOGAIR program was a contracted priority cargo airlift service operated by the United States Air Force. The airline went bankrupt in May 1972 and its assets were received by Saturn Airways.

As part of the LOGAIR air freight contract, Universal Airlines began service to Kirtland Air Force Base on July 1, 1969 replacing World Airways. The first Universal Lockheed Electras to arrive at Kirtland were unpainted however; when Universal began service after August 1 their aircraft had a new livery with white over silver with black markings. The Universal Airlines Lockheed Electra II, N856U, was documented serving Kirtland AFB.

GALLERY: