That’s what a Northrop Delta looks like to me, and I wanted to share this little guy with you.
Built in the 1930s by Lockheed Martin as a passenger plane with all the comforts we expect today. Nineteen-inch wide upholstered seats sat two abreast with an aisle in between, ample leg room, all seat were window seats as well as aisle seats, reading light, ashtray (Well, we don’t have those anymore.), and individual ventilation controls. The ride was quiet due to the sound-deadening insulation throughout. I never realized passenger planes had all these creature comforts so far back.
There was more than met the eye with tiny hauler. It was quite a versatile little craft. It had wheels to take off and land on dry ground. The wheels could be swapped out with floats for water takeoffs and landings.
But it could also have skis slapped onto it for snowy terrains. There wasn’t anywhere it couldn’t go. Most aircraft were relegated to dry land alone. So why were only thirty-two of these cuties built?
This high-speed, long-range, single-engine aircraft was built to transport passengers in the commercial market. The Delta was a low-winged monoplane with a wide fuselage that sat on top of the wings. It had streamlined spats that covered the landing gear. The pilot sat in an enclosed cockpit behind the engine. The rear compartment could seat up to eight passengers.
May 1933 saw the first Delta take to the skies. Our little toddler had taken his first “steps” and received its certificate of airworthiness in August of that same year. No stopping it now.
Until . . .
In October of 1934, the US government changed the commercial regulations for aircraft that could transport passengers. Single-engine airplanes no longer qualified for carrying passengers at night or over rough terrain. If a craft needed to make an emergency landing after dark or on bumpy ground, they were no longer eligible. This regulation basically stopped production of this single-engine passenger plane, pushing it to the backseat.
The company did make thirteen and sold a few. Canada bought one and produced nineteen more. With wheels, skis, or floats, the Delta performed well in Canada’s north.
Some Deltas were used for photo surveying. When WWII broke out, some of them were fitted with a rear gun turret, wing-mounted machine guns, and bomb-carrying capabilities. It was ready to fight for freedom. But there were other craft which could do these jobs better and faster. So the poor Delta took a backseat again. Once their frontline war usefulness was over, they were relegated to trainers and other second line duties. By the middle of the war, most all of them were no longer in use.
Such a short lifespan.
The Delta might have been mostly unloved in the real world but was absolutely perfect for the rescue mission in my story. It was the right size and wouldn’t be missed when my WASPs “borrowed” it. It had everything I needed and plays a vital role.
2023 SELAH Award Finalist
A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.
Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident. Order HERE!
MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.
Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at: Books2Read Newsletter Blog FB FB Readers Group Amazon GoodReads BookBub
These are the main sites I referenced for this article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Delta
https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.php?aircraft_id=1530
http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/models/aircraft/Northrop-Delta.html
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