Braniff Airways   Detriot-Lockheed DL-1 Vega     NC8495         (c/n  156)
                           
                                    

                                         By 1931 Braniff had extended its routes from Oklahoma City north to Chicago and south to Dallas.
                                         A fleet of Lockheed Vegas was acquired to fly this extended mileage and, over time, the airline
                                         operated a dozen of them.  The DL-1 was unusual in that the metal monocoque fuselages were
                                         fabricated in the shops of Detroit Aircraft and then shipped out to Lockheed in California where
                                         they were mated with the wooden cantilever wings.   In 1935 Braniff acquired Air Mail Route 15
                                         (AM-15) from Long and Harmon and extended service to encompass "From Great Lakes to the
                                         Gulf".   Can you imagine riding a Lockheed Vega from Chicago to Brownsville, Texas?   The
                                         Model below with the earlier livery is listed as a DL-1B which may have been variant with the
                                         massive spats.  Both images from Braniff.evidently taken before the expansion to the Gulf Cities.
                                         The final photo (bottom of page) shows NC12288 which was an employee built aircraft with
                                         metal fuselage, owned briefly by the airline in 1934.  This machine has been restored and is on
                                         display in Tucson, Arizona.

                                     Detriot-Lockheed DL-1B Vega     NC8495         (c/n  154)

                                   
                            
             
                                      Detriot-Lockheed DL-1B Vega     NC12288                           (c/n  161)