Amelia Earhart's aircraft which was lost without trace over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

Crashed at Mexico City on December 2, 1938. Photo from: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

A better photo of the Daily Express, taken in England during its transatlantic return flight. Interestingly pilot Dick Merrill preferred Ainsdale Beach near Southport over any British runway for the heavy westbound take-off, as he had done flying NR13770 the previous year. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Australian polar explorer and pilot Hubert Wilkins took part in the search for the famous Soviet pilot Sigizmund Levanevsky, who disappeared over the Bering Strait in URSS-N209 on 13 August 1937. The search continued while the Alaskan coastal waters froze and to replace his Catalina URSS-L2, Wilkins bought this long-range Electra, formerly NR16059. While the terrain looks barren, the aircraft is still in New York here, but Wilkins covered a vast area in Arctic winter conditions before the search was given up in March 1938. The Electra was then flown to Moscow for evaluation. The registration was reapplied as CCCP-N214 with a H-shaped Cyrillic N. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

In May 1937 Dick Merrill and Jack Lambie made a fast transatlantic return trip in this long-range L-10E Electra, to get high-quality photographs of King George VI's coronation to the USA as quickly as possible. This photo was taken a few days later. The first owner of this L-10 was Harold Vanderbilt. It later became USSR-N214. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

After an accident at Christchurch in 1959 ZK-BUT did not fly again. It languished at Christchurch before becoming a training aid for the fire service. It was later rescued and is now on display at MOTAT in Auckland as ZK-AFD. Photo from: RNZAF/Air Force Museum of New Zealand

One of the world's most famous aircraft. This is Amelia Earhart's Lockheed 10, in which she unsuccessfully attempted to fly around the globe, and disappeared. This photo was taken only 3 days before she started her first attempt (westbound) from Oakland on 17 Mar 1937. That attempt ended a few days later when the aircraft ground-looped on take-off from Luke Field, Pearl Harbor, HI. It was shipped back to Oakland and repaired. Amelia then departed Oakland for her second attempt (eastbound) on 20 May 1937. But with her flight almost completed she disappeared at sea near Howland Island in the Central Pacific on 2 July 1937. On 19 Feb 1988 the FAA permanently reserved registration N16020 in the name of Amelia Earhart.

This 1939 airframe did not come to New Zealand until 1957. Reportedly named Spirit of Tasman Bay, ZK-BUT was the last Electra flying in New Zealand until damaged here on 18 February 1959 as the right main landing gear collapsed on arrival from Nelson. The aircraft is statically preserved at the MOTAT in Auckland, painted as ZK-AFD Kuaka of Union Airways. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

Amelia Earhart's Electra in flight over Cimahi, near Bandung, Java, during her fatal round-the-world attempt. Earhart and her navigator Frank Noonan spent a few days in Bandung while they had the Electra serviced by KNILM. Photo from: Wereldmuseum

Ex ZK-BUT, displayed as ZK-AFD. To the MOTAT museum in January 1968. The wingless fuselage of the real ZK-AFD (c/n 1095) is displayed at the MOTAT as a cutaway.

Built in October 1935 for Eastern Air Lines as NC14961. Converted from 10-B to 10-E circa 1945. Later served National and Alaska Airlines. To LQ-GMP in January 1961. Scrapped soon after this photo was taken.