PlaneFox tracks 1 Lockheed L-18 Lodestar aircraft for sale and re-reads every one of them from the broker and dealer sites it watches, so the figures below move when the market moves. Every number on this page is measured from those live listings, not taken from a published price guide.
The Lockheed L-18 Lodestar is a twin-engine, low-wing transport built by Lockheed as the Model 18 Lodestar. It first flew in 1939, with production running mainly from 1940 to 1943. Developed from the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra, the Lodestar was intended for airline, corporate and government transport work, with a longer fuselage and greater seating capacity than its predecessor. It also saw extensive military service during the Second World War under designations including C-56, C-57, C-59 and C-60, depending on engine fit and operator. For buyers today, the Lockheed L-18 Lodestar matters as a large, complex vintage twin with genuine airline heritage and a cabin size rarely found in classic piston aircraft.
Performance varies by engine installation, weight and restoration standard. Typical cruise speeds are commonly in the region of 190 to 220 knots. Published range figures for Lodestar variants are often around 1,500 nautical miles, subject to fuel, payload and operating profile. Service ceiling is generally quoted at about 25,000 feet. The aircraft was powered by radial engines, most commonly Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp or Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines on civil and military variants. Maximum takeoff weight and useful load differ by model and conversion, so aircraft-specific weight and balance records are essential.
The Lodestar cabin was designed for airline-style transport, typically seating about 14 to 18 passengers in original layouts, although surviving aircraft may be configured for executive travel, cargo, museum operation or mixed use. The cabin is spacious for a piston twin of its era, with a round-fuselage profile, conventional passenger windows and a separate cockpit. Avionics are not standardized. Most aircraft began with period instrumentation, and current panels depend entirely on restoration history. Updated examples may include modern VHF radios, Garmin GPS navigators, Mode S transponders, ADS-B equipment, audio panels and weather or engine monitoring systems, rather than integrated suites such as Garmin G1000 or Garmin Perspective.
The Lockheed L-18 Lodestar sits in a specialist segment of the used market: historic transport aircraft, warbird-adjacent collectors, museums and operators with vintage multi-engine capability. Buyers should review corrosion history, spar and fuselage condition, engine and propeller times, fuel system integrity, landing gear maintenance, control cable condition and parts availability. Documentation matters, especially military-to-civil conversions, supplemental type certificates, interior changes and approved avionics installations. Common distinctions include engine type, former military designation, passenger versus cargo interior and degree of restoration. Market value is driven less by book pricing and more by airworthiness status, provenance, completeness, engine condition and the quality of ongoing maintenance support.