Model Airplane News January, 1933 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 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. Click Here for more information about the Northrop Alpha. Click to go back and select another cover. | |||||||
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