Model 9F-1 Orion

The Lockheed Model 9F‑1 Orion was a high‑performance, single‑engine, all‑metal monoplane introduced in 1931 as the final development of Lockheed’s Orion series. Built at the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California, the 9F‑1 incorporated a powerful 450‑hp Pratt & Whitney R‑985 Wasp Junior radial engine, a sleek low‑wing configuration, and retractable landing gear—features that made it one of the fastest civilian aircraft of its era, cruising at 199 mph and topping 215 mph. Only 12 examples were completed, largely because the Great Depression curtailed demand for luxury transport, yet the type earned a reputation for reliability and was employed by a handful of airlines, airmail carriers, and wealthy private owners. Its all‑metal stressed‑skin construction set a new standard for durability, while the streamlined fuselage and tapered wing contributed to advances in aerodynamics that influenced later Lockheed designs such as the Model 10 Electra and the famed P‑38 Lightning. The Orion’s role as a bridge between early wood‑and‑fabric biplanes and the metal monoplanes of the late 1930s marks it as a pivotal step in the evolution of modern aviation, demonstrating that speed, efficiency, and structural integrity could coexist in a commercial aircraft.

Lockheed Corporation

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