Lockheed designed an alternative wing fitted with a retractable undercarriage for the Lockheed Sirius as a result of a request from Charles Lindbergh, although Lindbergh in the end chose to buy a standard Sirius.

The prototype Altair was purchased by the United States Army Air Corps and designated Y1C-25, with a second Altair, fitted with a metal construction fuselage was also purchased by the Army as the Y1C-23 and used as a staff transport, as was a single similar aircraft operated by the US Navy as the XRO-1.

One aircraft, named Lady Southern Cross was used by Australian aviator Charles Kingsford Smith to carry out the first flight from Australia to the United States.

The Lady Southern Cross departed Archerfield Airport on October 20, 1934 and arrived at Oakland, California on November 4.

[4] Two Altairs were used by the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun as high-speed passenger and cargo aircraft, one remaining in use until 1944.