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Developed by the Lockheed Corporation, the L-188 Electra was the only large turboprop airliner produced in the U.S. It featured four Allison 501-D13 turboprop engines (a revolutionary power plant consisting of a jet turbine engine powering a propeller through a gearbox) mounted on short-span, low-mounted wings. The prototype flew in 1957, and that same year initial deliveries went to American and Eastern Air Lines. With the subsequent introduction of faster turbojets, the Electra was relegated to regional carriers such as Western Airlines. During the postwar era, Western Airlines quickly grew as a regional airline serving routes from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to the West Coast. With medium range, a cruise speed of nearly four hundred miles per hour, and a capacity of up to one hundred passengers, the Electra was ideal for Western’s needs and was instrumental in attracting a sizable customer base. The aircraft’s interior was designed by the firm of Henry Dreyfuss with blue and turquoise seats and curtains, blue pile carpet, and overhead panels in “restful neutral tones.” The lounge in the aft section of the cabin featured wraparound, sofa-style seating and a large mural of North America showing the airline’s route system. Western promoted its Electra airliners as a new standard in “Jet-Age Comfort,” with wide aisles, roomy seats, advanced air conditioning and heating, and an interior decor that offered “a new high in travel luxury.” See “A Cut Above: Airplane Models from the SFO Museum Collection” on display, pre-security, in the Mayor Edwin M. Lee International Terminal Departures Hall and online at: https://bit.ly/CutAboveModels 📸: Western Airlines Lockheed L-188 Electra over the Golden Gate Bridge postcard c. 1959 paper, ink Collection of SFO Museum Gift of the Captain John B. Russell Family 2012.149.0581 R2024.0401.019 slide: Western Airlines, Lockheed L-188 Electra; 1961 Gift of Albert R. Mueller, Jr. 2021.081.0840 This image was posted on August 23, 2024.