The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Lockheed Star Newsletter Collection SDASM.SC.10171
AR
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
7/2016
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego 92101
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Title: The Lockheed Star Newsletter Collection
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10171
Physical Description:
.75 Cubic Feet
Description: This is a two box collection, both with measurements 18 x 13 ¼ x 3 inches. There are over 200 different issues
of “The Lockheed Star.”
Content notes: “The Lockheed Star” was a newsletter that was published every two weeks or monthly. The issues in this collection
range from February 1946 to December 1994. The size of the newsletters varies per year.
Date (bulk): bulk
Abstract: “The Lockheed Star” was a newsletter that was published every two weeks or monthly by Lockheed Aircraft. The issues in this
collection range from February 1946 to December 1994
Biographical / Historical
The Lockheed Corporation has its origins with two brothers named Allan and Malcolm Loughead. The two brothers initially founded
Alco Hydro-Aeroplane Company with Max Mamlock, and spent their time engineering and constructing a small ultralight seaplane
they called the Model G. This airplane was one of the first “tractor” designs with a forward-mounted engine enclosed in the
fuselage.
The brothers started another new venture in 1916, the Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company, based in Santa Barbara. The
company was liquidated in 1921.
In 1926, Allan Loughead established Lockheed Aircraft Company (changed from Loughead due to mispronunciation), and the Lockheed
Vega aircraft became widely known as an explorer’s airplane (Amelia Earhart used a Vega). Lockheed was acquired by the Detroit
Aircraft Corporation in July 1929. Allan Lockheed resigned his post and sold all his holdings in the company. Under new management,
Lockheed’s engineers produced a number of new airplanes. Most notable among them was a popular passenger transport called
the Orion.
Lockheed was still operating profitably two years into the Depression despite its parent company’s poor financial condition.
Lockheed was sold to a group of investors including Robert Gross and Lloyd Stearman among them. The new owners immediately
developed the Model 10 Electra. The Electra was popular with Northwest and Pan Am’s fleets.
In March 1938, British officials gave Lockheed engineers five days to design a reconnaissance bomber per British specifications
for the R.A.F. Lockheed presented the “Hudson,” a modified Model 14 Super Electra fitted with more powerful engines, a bomb
bay, and guns. The British agreed to purchase at least 200 Hudsons for $25 million. It was the largest military contract awarded
before the war and marked a turning point in Lockheed’s business.
By May 1943, Lockheed’s subsidiary, Vega, had manufactured over 3,000 Hudsons. Additionally, Vega produced other new aircraft
for the allied forces, including the Ventura, the Harpoon, and variations of Boeing’s B-17 bomber. Lockheed also introduced
the famous triple hull P-38 Lightning. In total, Lockheed produced 19,297 aircraft for the military, or 9% of total U.S. production.
On top of all the production, the War Department requested civilian aircraft for military purposes. Therefore, Lockheed converted
several aircraft, but the most notable was the four engine C-69 Constellation, which would later be a commercial success following
the end of the war.
The 1950s were a decade of development at Lockheed. In 1953, the company established its missiles and space division which
produced satellites and submarine-launched missiles. In military ventures, the company developed transports such as the C-130
Hercules, the C-141 Starlifter, and the C-5 Galaxy, the largest airplane in the world at the time. During this period, Lockheed’s
military products were consistently chosen over competitors for pentagon contracts.
In the 1960s, Lockheed developed two very important jets, the U-2 spy plane and the SR-71. The U-2 flew at altitudes over
70,000 feet loaded with remote sensing electronic equipment. The SR-71 was designed in the early 1960s and has required no
further improvement since its aerodynamics were regarded by most engineers as nearly perfect.
In 1967, under new management, Lockheed made a risky venture in the commercial airline market. To compete with Boeing’s 747
and DC-10, Lockheed responded the 1011 TriStar, which first began operation in November 1970. Unfortunately, the TriStar program
was overwhelmed with problems. Rolls-Royce, the manufacturer of the 1011’s engines, went into receivership. Several airline
companies experienced numerous equipment failures with their TriStars. Sales of the airplane began to drop, and the company
faced a liquidity crisis. The decision to create a commercial aviation line nearly ruined the company. By 1971, Lockheed required
a government bailout to remain afloat. Lockheed closed its TriStar program in 1981.
Lockheed’s focus switched back to military hardware in the 1980s. This included several projects such as building the F-19
stealth bomber and the Trident II submarine-launched missile, as well as maintaining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s
space shuttles. The U.S. government deemed Lockheed indispensable to the country’s defense.
As Lockheed entered the 1990s, however, its future role as a primary supplier of military hardware and aircraft weakened.
With the end of the cold war and a dwindling defense budget promising little hope for robust growth, Lockheed entered into
a new era for U.S. aerospace manufacturers that demanded sweeping changes to enable survival. In 1990, Lockheed increased
its involvement in commercial aircraft maintenance, then maneuvered the company into conducting nuclear waste cleanup work
for the Department of Energy and dismantling nuclear warheads
In 1993, Lockheed shifted policy once again after it made a deal to acquire General Dynamics Corporation’s fighter aircraft
division, maker of the high-performance F-16 fighter aircraft. In beating out Northrop Corporation for the coveted fighter
aircraft unit, Lockheed executed a masterstroke, paying $1.5 billion for an additional $3 billion in sales and $13 billion
in backlog orders, as well as adding the F-16 and the F-22 program to the company’s established contracts to manufacture the
F-117A stealth fighter. The acquisition of General Dynamic’s aircraft division fueled Lockheed’s growth for the year. As the
company entered the mid-1990s, it continued to face the challenges of a leaner defense budget, but determinedly pursued its
goal to become the largest defense contractor in the United States.
In 1995, Lockheed merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to research by appointment.
Scope and Contents
Description: This is a two box collection, both with measurements 18 x 13 ¼ x 3 inches. There are over 200 different issues
of “The Lockheed Star.”
Content notes: “The Lockheed Star” was a newsletter that was published every two weeks or monthly. The issues in this collection
range from February 1946 to December 1994. The size of the newsletters varies per year.
Related Materials
Lockheed Aircraft company files and aircraft files.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Lockheed Aircraft
Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon
Lockheed R7V-1 Super Constellation
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
Folder 1 – The Lockheed Star February 8, 1946
Folder 2 – The Lockheed Star March 1, 1951 – October 11, 1951
Folder 3 – The Lockheed Star February 18, 1954 – December 9, 1954
Folder 4 – The Lockheed Star February 17, 1955
Folder 5 – The Lockheed Star April 17, 1956
Folder 6 – The Lockheed Star November 21, 1957
Folder 7 – The Lockheed Star January 2, 1958 – July 24, 1958
Folder 8 – The Lockheed Star January 31, 1963 – February 14, 1963
Folder 9 – The Lockheed Star January 6, 1966 – December 1, 1966
Folder 10 – The Lockheed Star January 19, 1967 – June 15, 1967
Folder 11 – The Lockheed Star February 15, 1968
Folder 12 – The Lockheed Star April 3, 1969
Folder 13 – The Lockheed Star November 19, 1970
Folder 14 – The Lockheed Star August 24, 1972
Folder 15 – The Lockheed Star January 25, 1973 – June 28, 1973
Folder 16 – The Lockheed Star November 7, 1974
Folder 17 – The Lockheed Star November 6, 1975
Folder 18 – The Lockheed Star July 29, 1976 – August 12, 1976
Folder 19 – The Lockheed Star March 17, 1977 – December 22, 1977
Folder 20 – The Lockheed Star August 3, 1978 – September 14, 1978
Folder 21 – The Lockheed Star April 23, 1981 – December 17, 1981
Folder 22 – The Lockheed Star January 14, 1982 – November 4, 1982
Folder 23 – The Lockheed Star January 13, 1983 – October 6, 1983
Folder 24 – The Lockheed Star April 5, 1984 – August 23, 1984
Folder 25 – The Lockheed Star 1985 (?)
Folder 26 – The Lockheed Star July 31, 1986
Folder 1 – The Lockheed Star February 18, 1988 – December 1, 1988
Folder 2 – The Lockheed Star January 12, 1989 – December 14, 1989
Folder 3 – The Lockheed Star January 11, 1990 – December 20, 1990
Folder 4 – The Lockheed Star January 10, 1991 – July 25, 1991
Folder 5 – The Lockheed Star August 27, 1992 – December 17, 1992
Folder 6 – The Lockheed Star January 21, 1993 – December 16, 1993
Folder 7 – The Lockheed Star January 20, 1994 – December 15, 1994