Vega Aircraft Corporation

The Vega Aircraft Corporation was a subsidiary of the Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California responsible for much of its parent company's production in World War II.

Vega Aircraft Corporation
FormerlyAiRover Company
IndustryAerospace
FoundedFebruary 24, 1937 (1937-02-24)
FoundersRobert E. Gross
DefunctNovember 30, 1943 (1943-11-30)
SuccessorLockheed Aircraft Company
Headquarters
Burbank, California
,
United States of America
ParentLockheed Aircraft Company
A worker at the Vega Aircraft Corporation during World War II
A Vega 35 operated by the Civil Air Patrol

History

The company was first formed in August 1937 as the AiRover Company to produce a new light aircraft design. It was renamed in May 1938 to honor Lockheed's first aircraft design, the Vega.[1]

The AiRover Model 1 was a Lockheed Altair fitted with a Menasco Unitwin 2-544 engine, which featured two engines driving a single shaft. The AiRover Model 2 was a new design named the Vega Starliner. One Starliner prototype was built and tested, but the design did not go into production.[2]

In 1940, with World War II already underway in Europe, Vega changed its focus from light aircraft to military aircraft. The company began by producing five North American NA-35 trainers under license with North American Aviation. Production by Vega really got underway with the Hudson, a patrol bomber designed for use by the Royal Air Force.

Vega entered a partnership between three companies (the other two being Boeing and Douglas) (abbreviated BVD) to produce the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Of over 12,000 B-17s produced by war's end, 2,750 were built by Vega. The company also built two experimental B-17 variants, the Boeing XB-38 Flying Fortress and the Boeing YB-40 Flying Fortress.

By the end of November 1943, Vega had merged back into Lockheed, having far surpassed its original mission of producing light aircraft.[3][4]

Aircraft
Model name First flight Number built Type
Vega Model 1 1938 1 Modified version of the Lockheed Altair
Vega Model 2 Starliner 1939 1 Prototype lightplane
Vega Model 40 5 Target drone
Vega 35 4 Development of the North American NA-35
Vega Hudson License built version of Lockheed Hudson
Vega Ventura 1941 3,028 Twin engine medium/patrol bomber
Vega B-17 Flying Fortress 1942 2,750 License built version of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Vega XB-38 Flying Fortress 1943 1 Modified version of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress with inline engines
Vega YB-40 Flying Fortress 1942 1 Modified version of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress to gunship configuration

See also

References

Notes
  1. "Lockheed Unit Takes New Name". Los Angeles Times. 1 June 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. "Chapter V: Peace, Prosperity, Peril" (PDF). Of Men and Stars: A History of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Burbank, California: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. July 1957. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  3. Thisdayinaviation.com Vega Aircraft Corporation
  4. "Vega Wanes". Aviation News. McGraw-Hill Publishing Corporation. 22 November 1943. p. 24. Retrieved 5 July 2021.

Bibliography
  • Francillon, René J, Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. Naval Institute Press: Annapolis, 1987.
  • Yenne, Bill, Lockheed. Crescent Books, 1987.
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