World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseL-14 Super Electra military transports were originally designed as Model 14 Super Electra civilian cargo planes and passenger aircraft. They entered civilian service in Oct 1937 with Northwest Airlines of the United States, then were sold to Aer Lingus of Ireland, British Overseas Airways Corporation of Britain, Union Airways and National Airways Corporation of New Zealand, and Tachikawa Aeroplane Company of Japan. Tachikawa turned out to be the largest user of Model 14 Super Electra, purchasing a number of built aircraft as well as license-building 119. During the Pacific War, both Japan and the United States used them for transporting cargo and personnel. On the Allied side, the British Royal Air Force, the US Army Air Forces, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and others employed use of L-14 Super Electra aircraft; the US Navy was a user as well, though it had used only one example, designated XR4O-1 and used as a staff transport. Japan operated 119 license-built examples, 64 by Tachikawa and 55 by Kawasaki; the former were code named "Thelma" by the Allies and the latter "Toby".

SPECIFICATIONS

14-WF62

Machinery	Two Wright SGR-1820-F62 radial engines rated at 760hp each
Crew	2
Span	19.96 m
Length	13.51 m
Height	3.48 m
Wing Area	51.20 m²
Weight, Empty	4,886 kg
Weight, Loaded	7,114 kg
Weight, Maximum	7,955 kg
Speed, Maximum	402 km/h
Rate of Climb	7.70 m/s
Service Ceiling	7,649 m
Range, Normal	3,420 km

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