The Lockheed Electra was not the first commercial turboprop airliner. This honor goes to the Vickers Viscount, introduced in 1948. The Electra you flew in 1943 was a piston powered aircraft that was much smaller than the Lockheed Electra introduced in the 1950's. David R ----- Original Message ----- From: "Herman R. Silbiger" <hsilbiger@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 08:08 Subject: Re: [AIRLINE] SFGate: Converting commercial jets to military use could bring billions to Boeing > Of course the Lockheed Orion was also based on a commercial airliner, > the Electra L188. This was the first commercial turboprop airliner. > Previous commercial twin combustion engine Electras, the model 10, also > had military service as patrol planes. A lengthened version of the > original Electra was the Lodestar. > > My first flight ever was in an Electra in commercial service in 1943. > > Herman