Lockheed 12A Electra Jr.

SN 1226
NC18130

Just Finished!

Polished, Primed and Ready
(Fresh Annual)

Images after stripping

(Click on an image to enlarge)

Images After Polishing and PrimingThe aircraft exterior has just undergone a complete stripping and has been polished to a glistening shine.

• The interior has been CO2 stripped, acid etched, alodined and completely primed

• (See pictures below).

• New flooring has been installed (See pictures below).

• New flooring throughout, and new windows and frames installed.

• Flap and landing gear boxes have just completed overhaul.

A True Thoroughbred with an Impecable Pedigree

Truely, a Piece of Aeronautical History

• Initially purchased by Gilmore Oil of Los Angeles
• Placed 5th in the Bendix Trophy Air Races in 1937, Los Angeles to Cleveland
• Piloted by Lockheed's own test pilot and world famous stunt pilot, Milo Burcham
• General Staff Transport for the Free French Air Force in WWII
• One of only ~10 Flying in the World
• Flown by legendary pilot Charlie LaJotte (flight instructor to Howard Hughes)
• Lowest time of all remaining Lockheed 12A’s in the world (~ 1850 TTAF)

A Unique Aircraft from the Golden Age

Mechanically Restored
Airworthy

Images below prior to striping

Lockheed 12A NC18130, Returned Home!

Sporting its original N number, this legendary Lockheed 12A, NC18130, returned home after spending over 65 years and most of her flying days in Europe.

With an illustrious past full of fame and duty, her previous 25 years had been uneventful as she sat idly tucked in a hangar in central France. However the years had been kind to her and the aircraft was still very original and in remarkably good shape. Only 90 12As’ were produced and the limited use had now made her the lowest total time, L-12A in existence (TTAF 1850).

In the summer of 2007 Jim and Morgan Perry had engaged two U.S. A&P’s, purchased two chrome-packaged, completely overhauled and balanced R-985 engines from Aero Engines in Los Angeles (one of the top R-985 shops in the US) and brought them to the Valence-Chabeuil airport to rescue this historically rich aircraft. For 8 weeks they changed/overhauled the engine accessories and instruments, replaced all the hoses/lines and hung the new power-plants as well as exercising all the aircraft’s systems in an effort to get the plane ready for its return HOME. While bringing the plane to airworthiness, they discovered patches of the original cream and red “Gilmore Oil” livery colors and a sealed off fuel fitting used in 1937 to add a sixth fuel tank in order to fly in the Bendix Trophy Air Races without a refueling stop. They deregistered her with France and brought an FAA DAR from Frankfurt to reissue the FAA standard airworthiness certificate and U.S. registration. She once again was NC 18130!

By early September 2007 she was ready and Jim Perry took the pilots seat previously occupied by Lockheed’s famous developmental test pilot and world champion stunt pilot Milo Burcham as well as Howard Hughes’ primary flight instructor Charlie LaJotte and piloted the Electra Jr. back to America via France-England-Scotland-Iceland-Greenland and Canada, assisted on the historic journey by pilots Bob Gill, Joe Pritchard, and brother Morgan Perry.

On June 25th 2012 NC18130 turned 75!

Happy Birthday and Welcome Home!