AVIATION: First U.S. Turboprop

The U.S. aircraft industry last week took a big stride into jet-age commercial flying. In Los Angeles, Lockheed Aircraft Corp. announced that it is building the first U.S. commercial turboprop (jet plus propeller) airliner, will have it in the air by 1958. Lockheed President Robert E. Gross announced his first order: $65 million from American Airlines for 35 of the fast, new planes, all of them to be delivered by 1959.

Called the "Electra" after Lockheed's first 200-m.p.h. transport (1934), the new plane will be a big improvement over Britain's seven-year-eld Vickers Viscount, which...

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