The Lockheed L-188 Electra is a four engine turboprop airliner that first flew in 1957,
and was the very first turboprop airliner ever built in the United States.
It entered service with Eastern Airlines and American Airlines in 1959, as a replacement
for slower piston-powered propliners.
Unlike the early jet aircraft of the time, the Electra had the advantage of being able
to use shorter runways while still having a higher cruising speed.
In the end, 170 L-188s were built, and the type has long since been retired from any
scheduled passenger service with the major airlines.
Nevertheless, it’s found a niche for itself decades after its tenure in passenger service,
and more than 50 years after the type first flew, there are actually quite a few still
around in Canada.
According to the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register, there are 23 Lockheed Electras registered
in Canada, a mixture of L-188A and L-188C models.
One aircraft is registered to Conair of British Columbia, 8 to Buffalo Airways of the Northwest
Territories, and 14 to Air Spray of Alberta.
Although 23 is a lot, that number doesn’t quite reflect how many Electras might be stored
or used for parts, or count any foreign airframes that might have been purchased for parts as
well.
Even so, that’s just the civilian fleet, as the Royal Canadian Air Force also flies
14 Lockheed CP-140 Auroras, a maritime patrol aircraft based on the more successful P-3
Orion, which itself was developed from the civilian Electra.
So why exactly are these 1950s-designed aircraft still around today?
Well, in the case of all three civilian operators, the Electra’s served an important role as
an aerial firefighting platform.
Canadians are all aware of the devastating impacts of wildfires, and air tankers like
the Electra provide a critical role in preventing them from spreading.
With good low airspeed control for fire retardant drops, the ability to operate out of relatively
short runways for its size, and a long range with a mission endurance of up to 4 hours,
the Electra Air Tanker has some notable advantages.
It’s also able to carry over 11,000 litres of fire retardant in an external tank, and
given that the Electras are older aircraft, they also have the advantage of being less
expensive to acquire.
These firefighting Electras are flown mainly under government contracts, and Air Spray’s
aircraft in particular operate for the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon
Territory.
Buffalo Airways also flies two of their firefighting Electras for the government of the Northwest
Territories.
Speaking of Buffalo, the Electra also serves an important role as a cargo and fuel hauler
for them, able to carry up to 33,000 pounds across Canada’s north.
Along with that, they also have the ability to land on unpaved runways, a particular asset
in that part of the country.
Some of their Electras were purchased from Atlantic Airlines of the UK, including what
was the very last Electra flying in Europe.
Being powered by turbine engines, the Electras also have the advantage of running on jet
fuel, which is easier to find at airports than the Avgas needed for Buffalo’s older
piston aircraft.
In its military role with the RCAF, the CP-140 Auroras are based out of Comox, British Columbia,
and Greenwood, Nova Scotia.
They first joined the RCAF in 1980, and now serve as an airborne platform for intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance, both over land and water.
In addition, they also serve as a platform for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare,
among many other roles.
All fourteen CP-140s have recently undergone a life extension program involving replacing
major structural components of the airframes, including the wings and horizontal stabilizers.
With that program completed, the CP-140 fleet is slated to continue flying until 2030.
Looking into the future for the civilian fleet, although there are no public plans from Buffalo
or Air Spray to retire their aircraft just yet, Conair has made that decision already.
Their sole Electra was retired at the end of the 2020 fire season, and though its capabilities
were impressive, Conair’s safety assessment determined that it was time for a replacement.
Operating an aircraft that was designed in the 1950s is not without its difficulties.
According to Conair, a lot of stress is put on aircraft in the aerial firefighting role,
and managing the structural integrity of the airframe with widespread fatigue damage is
a challenge.
There are also other challenges including wiring and changes in certification standards
from when the Electras were first built.
On top of that, with limited Original Equipment Manufacturer or OEM support for an aging airframe,
parts can also be difficult to come by.
Fortunately, when it comes to the aerial firefighting role, there are a few alternatives out there,
and Conair’s decided to modernize its fleet with some Dash 8-400 Air Tankers.
In early 2021, Conair announced that they had purchased 11 Dash 8-400s formerly flown
by FlyBe of the UK.
They evaluated 29 aircraft before selecting the Dash 8, of which a major advantage is
that it is still in production with De Havilland Canada.
That means, unlike the Electra, that there’s strong Original Equipment Manufacturer support,
along with guaranteed availability of parts and servicing.
The Dash 8 Air Tanker also has a pretty comparable payload to the Electra, with a 10,000 litre
external tank.
In addition to the Dash 8, Conair also operates some Avro RJ85 Air Tankers, which also have
a maximum tank capacity of over 11,000 litres.
When it comes to the Electra’s impressive cargo and unpaved runway capabilities though,
that could be a little more tricky to replace.
Its payload capacity of 33,000 pounds is actually on par with, if not slightly higher than that
of a 737-200.
Replacing an aircraft with that particular set of capabilities is another story entirely,
and it is something that certain northern Canadian operators have had to think about
for a while.
With their large fleet and extensive source of spare parts though, Buffalo will likely
keep flying the Electras for as long as possible, and the same goes for Air Spray.
For now, these four-engined turboprops will continue to serve their niche, yet very important
roles, for however long that may be.
When it comes to Canada's remaining Lockheed L-188 Electras, for aviation enthusiasts like
myself, the question shouldn’t be “when will they retire it” but “how to enjoy
it while it lasts”.
Thank you so much for watching, to my good friend Mark Brandon for his amazing Electra
footage, and to Conair for providing some incredibly helpful information.
See you next time.