On June 4, 1935, Lockheed delivered Northwest's last Lockheed Electra 10A (1024) registered NC14936; in total Northwest received 13 Lockheed Electra 10A's. After flying with the airline for three years NC14936 was sold to British Airways Ltd., at the beginning of 1938 to replace an Electra which had crashed the previous year. The registration was soon changed to G-AFCS and was almost lost shortly after beginning service with the airline; while flying from Paris one engine quit over the English Channel; thanks to quick thinking on the crew's part the Electra landed safely on the beaches of Pevensey.
At the start of the war the company's Electras were pressed into service where they were given the full camouflage treatment, while in the service they were used on the National Air Communications emergency airlift between Heston, Shoreham, and Le Bourget. In mid-1940 G-AFCS was sold to the newly former British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) who transferred the aircraft Almaza, Cairo, Egypt where it was named Lea. For the next two years the aircraft served on the routes to West Africa, Kenya, and points in the east; unfortunately, on November 11, 1943, the aircraft crashed at Almaza, we were unable to find any information about this crash other than the date and location.
NC14936, left, and another unidentified Electra at the St. Paul maintenance base, 1937. NC14936 seems to be undergoing a very thorough check and possibly engine work as well. (northwestairlineshistory.org)
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