cn148

An ultimately unsuccessful early Lockheed design -- four Explorers were built (two "4's" and two "7's"), and all four were destroyed in crashes. This 7 Explorer (NR-101-W / cn 148) named "Yankee Doodle" had an especially cruel fate: after crashing, its wings were re-used on Wiley Post's Lockheed Orion-Explorer hybrid (NR12283) which was subsequently lost in a crash after takeoff near Point Barrow in Walakpa Lagoon, Alaska in 1933, killing both aviation pioneer Wiley Post and humorist Will Rogers. RIP.

see history at dmairfield.com/Collections/Cosgrove%20Collection/People/g...

Certain photos are more interesting than others since they can be frozen in time a bit more specific than others. This Brougham must have been sent to Oz by vessel no doubt together with its sister c/n 92 It was registered on 10.10.1928 to T E Rofe, Sydney and on the 30th that month started on a journey to England. It must have passed Dum Dum in early November that year. Unfortunately it was not a successful flight since it crashed on take off from Athens on Nov 26th..., due, perhaps not enough offerings to the old Greek Pantheon.... Stig

Mitchel Field, Long Island. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchel_Air_Force_Base