Lockheed Little Dipper

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Model 33 Little Dipper
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Role Single-seat utility monoplaneTemplate:Short description
National origin United States
Manufacturer Lockheed
Designer John Thorp
First flight August 1944
Number built 1
Developed into Thorp T-211

The Lockheed Model 33 Little Dipper, also known as Air Trooper, was an American single-seat monoplane, designed by John Thorp and built by Lockheed at Burbank, California. Flown in 1944 and offered to the Army as a "flying motorcycle", it was evaluated as a potential entry for Lockheed into the civilian market, but the program was cancelled before the second prototype was completed.

Design and development

The design of the Model 33 originated with a private venture for a two-seat light aircraft by John Thorp, a Lockheed engineer.[1] In April 1944, the company agreed to build the aircraft as the Lockheed Model 33.[1] Due to wartime restrictions on materials,[1] the company gained the interest of the United States Army in the aircraft as an "aerial flying motorcycle" to equip a "flying cavalry" under the name Air Trooper.[2] The Army, willing to entertain the concept, authorized Lockheed to build two prototypes of the Model 33.[1]

The Model 33 was of ordinary light-aircraft design, with a low-mounted cantilever monoplane wing and conventional empennage; powered by a Script error: No such module "convert". Franklin 2A4-49 engine, it was fitted with a fixed tricycle landing gear and proved to have STOL performance.[1]

Operational history

File:Lockheed Little Dipper vs. Lockheed Constellation.jpg
The Little Dipper with a Lockheed Constellation
File:Lockheed Little Dipper.jpg
Little Dipper replica on display in 2015

The Model 33 prototype first flew in August 1944.[1] The handling characteristics of the aircraft were considered satisfactory,[3] but the Army had lost interest in the concept,[1] despite the prototype demonstrating its performance by landing and taking off again in the courtyard of the Pentagon.[4] Lockheed had intended to market the type as an inexpensive light aircraft on the civilian market as the Little Dipper; with the military interest having evaporated, the prototype and the partially completed second aircraft were scrapped in January 1947 for tax reasons.[1]

Thorp, the aircraft's designer, would go on to develop the Thorp T-211 with lessons learned from the Little Dipper project.[5]

Specifications

Data from Francillion 1982[1]

General characteristics

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See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

Citations

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  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Francillon 1982, pp. 256-257.
  2. ↑ Ingalls 1973, p. 108.
  3. ↑ Badrocke and Gunston 1998, p.36.
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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Bibliography

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External links

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