HOUSTON – The Lone Star Flight Museum is the new home of a rare Lockheed Howard 250 Tri-Gear. The aircraft, given to the museum by the Mid America Flight Museum in Mount Pleasant, Texas, is now a permanent part of the LSFM’s aircraft collection.
The Howard 250 is an added highlight to the new and ongoing relationship between the two flight museums that will see additional visiting aircraft at LSFM over the next several years, according to museum officials.
First built in 1949, the Lockheed Howard 250 Tri-Gear was designed by Howard Aero in the 1950s to transform the military designed transport Lockheed L-18 Lodestar into executive corporate aircraft. With several modifications making the airplane faster, more comfortable, and fuel efficient for longer flights, the new design was the model of stylish travel. The most notable changes making the aircraft more “commercial” included passenger windows, new engine nacelle designed to decrease drag, changes to the trailing edge of the wing, more streamlined nose and pilot windshields, and a more aerodynamic tail cone. Only four Howards were converted to the new design.
This 12-passenger Howard 250, with a wingspan of more than 70 feet, is the only remaining flying model and features all the amenities of a 1950s luxury executive aircraft, including leather sofa and bucket seats, wood detail, and large picture windows.
“The Howard 250 is an aircraft that is the product of American ingenuity and the vision of Dee Howard,” said Scott Glover, founder of Mid America Flight Museum. “It is truly an aviation treasure with rich history. Donating this plane to the Lone Star Flight Museum not only illustrates our ongoing relationship with the museum, but it also supports our mission at Mid America to honor the Greatest Generation and share their stories with as many people as we can.”
“This is an amazing addition to our aircraft collection,” noted Lone Star Flight Museum President and Chief Executive Officer Doug Owens, Lt. Gen. (ret.). “Dee Howard was an aviation entrepreneur and pioneer, and as a member of the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, adding the Howard 250 to our collection completes his story of the impact he made on the aviation industry. We are grateful to Scott Glover and the team at Mid America for this incredible gift and piece of Texas aviation history. We look forward to continuing to celebrate aviation alongside them.”
With FAA certification and further maintenance modifications, the Howard 250 will be considered for future inclusion in the museum’s warbird ride program, museum officials added.
Over 45 yrs ago I worked for Dee Howard at San Antonio Intl. Airport. I was very familiar with N177L and serviced it frequently. It is a truly beautiful aircraft and a constant attraction for public interest. I hated fueling it because it had wing tanks and access meant getting on top of the wing with a heavy fuel nozzle and hoping a strong wind would not catch me. It was about an 11 foot fall to the hard ramp. Adding oil to the engines was equally dangerous. A small 6 inch door was opened on the top of each engine nacelle. You had to partially straddle the engine and pour oil from a 5 gallon can into the engine. A funnel didn’t help because it took two hands to hold the oil can. A funnel would not stay upright unless a 3rd hand held it. I only had two hands so I learned to “hit the hole” with the oil.
Thanks Brian for your added details.