The Lockheed Vega was designed and engineered by John K. Northrop in 1927. The construction of the over 27 foot long fuselage is deceptively simple in design and was a key in the transition from frame and fabric to the aluminum monocoque design still used today. Innovative engineering was also used for the cantilevered single high wing. The Vega was also among the first planes to use a drag-reducing engine cowl. It was advanced engineering ideas, such as these, that made the Vega an overwhelming success. A long list of pilots set 34 world records in Lockheed Vegas. Among them were such well known aviators as Wiley Post and Amelia Earhart who relied on the smooth, aerodynamic design and rugged construction of the Vega. Amelia Earhart's Trans-Atlantic and cross country flights in 1932 were both made in a Vega equipped with an additional fuel capacity totaling 430 gallons. She flew her second Vega from Hawaii to Los Angeles in 1935 to become the first woman to fly solo over both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.