An archive of plans and correspondence relating to the outfitting of Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E is to sell at Bonhams.

The plane, described as a "flying laboratory" due to the range of innovations it carried, was flown by Earhart on her ill-fated final journey around the world in 1937.

Amelia Earhart bought the Lockheed Electra 10E with help from the Purdue Research Foundation

The documents include Earhart's signed original invoice for the plane, along with various technical specifications and letters between Earhart and her engineers.

It includes a 1936 letter from Earhart's technical director, Paul Mantz, to her husband George Putnam that reads: "The number of A.E.'s new ship will be NR-16020.

"Won't be long before she will start making history."

It's valued at $15,000-20,000 ahead of a June 8 fine books and manuscripts auction in New York.

Amelia Earhart's plane went missing around Howland Island, a small stretch of land in the Pacific.

The disappearance remains a mystery and no trace of pilot or plane has been found.

Earhart's status as one of the earliest female pioneers of flight ensures a global market for her memorabilia.

In 2011, a pair of her flight goggles sold for $17,775 at Clars Auction Gallery.

Muhammad Ali's 1972 passport will also be offered in the sale.

We have a stunning selection of space and aviation memorabilia for sale, including a piece of fabric from Charles Lindberg's Spirit of St Louis.

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