Editing Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (section)

==Operational history==
[[File:LockheedLodestar.jpg|thumb|Lockheed Lodestar]]
[[File:Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar over Houston,1947-48.jpg|thumb|Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar over [[Houston]], 1947 or 1948]]
The Lodestar received its [[Type certificate]] on 30 March 1940, allowing it to enter service with the first customer, [[Mid-Continent Airlines]] that month.{{sfn|Francillon|1982|p=186}} As hoped, the extra seats greatly improved the Model 18's economics, reducing its seat-mile costs to a similar level to that of the DC-3, while retaining superior performance. Despite this, sales to US domestic customers were relatively slow as most US airlines were already committed to the DC-3, with only 31 Lodestars going to US airlines.{{sfn|Francillon|1982|p=187}} Overseas sales were a little better, with the biggest airline customers being [[South African Airways]] (21), [[New Zealand National Airways Corporation]] (13), [[Trans-Canada Air Lines]] (12) and [[British Overseas Airways Corporation|BOAC]] (9); another 29 were bought by the [[Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force]]. Various [[Pratt & Whitney]] and [[Wright Cyclone]] powerplants were installed.

When the [[United States]] started to build up its military air strength in 1940–41, many American-operated Lodestars were impressed as the C-56. This was followed by the construction of many new-build Lodestars which were flown by the [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] as the '''C-60''' and by the [[U.S. Navy]] and [[U.S. Marine Corps]] as the '''R5O'''. Lend-lease aircraft were used by the [[RNZAF]] as transports.

One was purchased in 1942 to serve as Brazilian President [[Getúlio Vargas]]' personal aircraft. This aircraft was specially designed for that purpose and had 11 seats.
[[File:Lockheed 18 Tri N6711 OPA 02.02.81 edited-3.jpg|thumb|right|'''Howard 250''' Lodestar conversion fitted with tri-gear. At [[Opa Locka Airport]] near [[Miami]] in 1981]]
After the war many Lodestars were overhauled and returned to civilian service, mostly as executive transports such as Dallas Aero Service's '''DAS Dalaero''' conversion, [[Bill Lear]]'s '''Learstar''' (produced by PacAero), and Howard Aero's '''Howard 250'''.<ref name="Janes 65 p244">Taylor 1965, p. 244.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Have You Seen? Twin Feathers|magazine=[[Flying (magazine)|Flying]]|date=January 1954|volume=54|issue=1|page=40}}</ref> A few of the latter were converted to tricycle landing gear.

While the surviving [[New Zealand]] NZNAC aircraft were sold back overseas in 1951/52, six more were later imported and converted for [[aerial topdressing]].

A single Lodestar served with the [[Israeli Air Force]] during the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]].

A number of skydiving operations in the United States used Lodestars during the 1970s and 1980s.