Lockheed 14 Super Electra. Cabin Crew?

[Old Bat]

An odd question, but I need to know whether the Lockheed 14 Super Electra would have had a cabin steward. I know the a/c was tiny, but I suppose it's not impossible.

I've searched at length and can find nothing.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Old Bat

It's probably not the definitive answer you seek but Australia's East-West Airlines certainly did have a Hostess on their Hudsons from 1949. These Hudsons were effectively Lockheed 14s, or if you prefer, ploughshares converted to swords and back to ploughshares.

As an interesting aside, at a recent historical conference in Australia, a (female) "academic" presented a paper in which she claimed that (male) engineers at East-West Airlines had constructed a box across the cabin of the Hudson so that the hosties would have to hoist up their skirts for the entertainment of the (male) passengers. She was informed by robust interjection that said "box" was holding the wings on!

[evansb]

Trans Canada Air Lines, (TCA), operated 16 Lockheed Super Electra 14H2, 12 modified to model 14-08 standard. A single stewardess was on board. Photo circa 1946:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmforum.com-vbulletin/998x1195/abliqrb_cffd15bfc7f5183619205664b9e3297039b76a99.jpg

[evansb]

The "box" was of course the wing spar. TCA remarkably had a stewardess on the even smaller Lockheed 10A Electra. The 10A also had a wing spar to step over, but the spar step-over was located just aft of the cockpit bulkhead. Canadian Pacific Airlines (CPA, later known as CP Air) also operated a few Lockheed 14-H2 Super Electra aircraft in the 1940's. They also employed a stewardess on every flight.

A CPA Lodestar on a snow covered apron somewhere in western Canada:
https://i.imgur.com/NZWT0vf.jpg

[Fris B. Fairing]

Clearly TCA stewardesses also had to be trained to step over the "box". There are some very fine oleos in that picture.

[India Four Two]

FBF,

I noticed that too and I thought that the skirts were rather daring for that era. Then I noticed the girls were pulling them up for the photographer’s benefit.

[Jhieminga]

The problem was not exclusive to the Lockheed twins. On the Vickers Viking the hostesses had a similar problem with the wing spar, causing seats next to the spar box to be in demand with male passengers. Arthur Whitlock created a great illustration of this issue in his book 'Behind the Cockpit Door (https://amzn.to/2LjxG7l)', but I don't have the image to hand right now.

[Reverserbucket]

Well those TCA loaders certainly seem happy with their "box".

[Old Bat]

Apologies for the slow reply; tech stall. Thanks greatly, all. Most useful, and your time is much appreciated.

[ICM]

Jelle:
Casting my mind back some 50+ years now to the Valettas and Varsities at Nav School, the RAF's cousins of the Vickers Viking, that wing box was certainly an obstacle - no real problem to us chaps in flying suits, but I can readily imagine that it would have been for young ladies in any sort of tight skirt.

Regards, Ian.

[India Four Two]

Also about 50 years ago, I had a flight in an ex-Queen's Flight Heron, still resplendent in its red livery. The interior was nicely done and the main spar was carpeted, to protect the royal shins.

[Jhieminga]

Found a photo online. This copy of Arthur Whitlock's drawing is mounted inside Viking G-AGRU at Brooklands. It's not my photo, but I supplied the copy of the drawing many years ago... ;)
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmforum.com-vbulletin/800x600/vikingspar_e4ef7acca14415b7a26fb6e528510be6b058beb2.jpg