Lockheed Model 5B and 5C Vega

Flight Notes - how to fly the Vega

The Vegas in Flight Simulator are modeled after the Vega 5B, similar to the one Wiley Post flew twice around the world and the Vega 5C, flown by Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart flew a Vega solo across the Atlantic in 1932 and then flew it coast to coast across the United States. Ruth Nichols set altitude and speed records in a Vega in 1931. The Vega's power and speed also made it a choice for early commercial airline operations.

The sleek, pleasing-to-the-eye, spruce-built Vega was very fast for its day. Corporacion Aeronautica de Transportes of Mexico was the world's fastest airline in 1929, flying some of the first Wasp-equipped versions. The Vega is big for a single-engine airplane. Despite its weight and size, large control surfaces make the airplane more responsive than you might imagine. You don't need to push this airplane around the sky. The Vegas in Flight Simulator can carry a heavy load of fuel, but be aware that if you take off in the default configuration of fuel tanks, the airplane will struggle to climb and maintain high altitudes.

Specifications

 

	U.S.	Metric
Maximum Speed	210 mph	338 km per hour
Cruise Speed	160 mph	258 km per hour
Engine	Pratt & Whitney Wasp C, 500 horsepower
Propeller	Two-bladed, fixed pitch
Maximum Range	2,500 miles	4,023 km
Service Ceiling	22,000 feet	6,706 meters
Fuel Capacity	650 gallons	2,460 liters
Empty Weight	2,565 pounds	1,163 kilograms
Maximum Gross Weight	6,630 pounds	3,007 kilograms
Length	27 feet, 6 inches	12.49 meters
Wingspan	41 feet	8.38 meters
Height	8 feet, 2 inches	2.49 meters
Seating	6
Useful Load	4,065 pounds	1,844 kilograms