Model Airplane News
January, 1933


Model Airplane News Cover for January, 1933 by Jo Kotula Northrop Alpha

Northrop Alpha
Model Airplane News Cover Art for January, 1933
by Jo Kotula
Click to Enlarge


The Northrop Alpha was an American single-engine, all-metal, seven-seat, low-wing monoplane fast mail/passenger transport aircraft used in the 1930s

 The Northrop Alpha    The Northrop Alpha      The Northrop Alpha

Northrop Alpha
left: prototype as shown on the cover of M.A.N.
Click to Enlarge


Drawing on his experience with the Lockheed Vega, John K. Northrop designed the Alpha, an advanced mail/passenger transport aircraft. In addition to all-metal construction, the plane used revolutionary aerodynamic advancements:

The aircraft had day or night, all-weather capability and was very well-received. The aircraft first flew in 1930, with a total of 17 built.The Alpha entered service with Transcontinental & Western Air (future TWA). The trip from San Francisco to New York required 13 stops and took just over 23 hours. Three Alphas were operated by the US military as C-19 VIP transports until 1939. The Alpha was further developed into a dedicated fast transport Northrop Gamma.

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