Howard 500 (Lodestar conversion)

[fightersweep]

Hi all;

 

Just a quick question as I am a total know nothing in this area. What do I have to do to convert a Lockheed Lodestar into a Howard 500? Is it a doable conversion and what would I need to do (or buy) to get a Howard 500 on my shelf?

 

Thought this the very best place to ask. Thanks in advance;

Steve

Edited March 29, 2017 by fightersweep

[Jessica]

Do you mean the Howard 500? It's an almost total rebuild which only superficially resembles a Lodestar. The entire fuselage was newly manufactured, and is subtly different in shape, especially around the nose and cockpit. You'll need DC-6 engines and nacelles, DC-7 propellers, new fuselage and a great deal of putty and courage

[Space Ranger]

I don't know myself, but I have posted the question on the Civil Wings Yahoo forum on your behalf (and that of others, including me!).

[Coors54]

Oooo, Howard 500, that brings back a memory. Coventry airshow 2000 and the chance to fly in Duncan Bakers aircraft during the Friday display practice - what a performer, fast and agile and upholstered to the max!

Probably the rarest aircraft I've flown in, is it still around?

 

Dave

Edited March 29, 2017 by Coors54
Date change - memory!

[Space Ranger]

From a knowledgeable friend of mine:

 

You're not getting there at all with a Lodestar and it would be hard enough if at all to start with a PV-1 Ventura.
The Howard 500 has a lot longer aft fuselage and has a longer wing with a different shape.
Different engines/props/cowlings, longer nose, lower tail plane with a longer tail cone.
Others including me have beaten this idea to death and can't come up with a viable solution.
It would be about 80 - 90% scratch built.
Howard used the PV-1 wing Center Section and PV-2 landing gear, the rest of the airplane was new metal.

 

[fightersweep]

Jessica...

 

Thanks you for correcting my apparent brain fart! My brain meant Howard, but my fingers tapped out Hughes and neither party noticed!!

 

I've changed the thread title and details accordingly!

 

When I read somewhere that the Howard 500 was a Lodestar conversion, I thought, well, how hard can it be. I get the impression now that it's pretty much a completely different aircraft!! I don't mind a good kit bash, but this sounds more like a scratch build. I don't suppose there's much chance of a kit ever appearing, so I probably won't hold my breath!

 

I appreciate all your replies, and I go away having learnt something about the Howard 500, so that in itself is a result! 

 

Best regards;
Steve

Edited March 29, 2017 by fightersweep

[Yankymodeler]

3 hours ago, Space Ranger said:

From a knowledgeable friend of mine:

 

You're not getting there at all with a Lodestar and it would be hard enough if at all to start with a PV-1 Ventura.
The Howard 500 has a lot longer aft fuselage and has a longer wing with a different shape.
Different engines/props/cowlings, longer nose, lower tail plane with a longer tail cone.
Others including me have beaten this idea to death and can't come up with a viable solution.
It would be about 80 - 90% scratch built.
Howard used the PV-1 wing Center Section and PV-2 landing gear, the rest of the airplane was new metal.

 

I've been doing some research on this very subject and even the center section of the H500 is new build.  Have an idea in my head to do a Howard twins series build when the Intruder/Prowler saga is complete.

 

Eric aka The Yankymodeler

Edited March 29, 2017 by Yankymodeler
grammerical

[Space Ranger]

I have just been sent some excellent, albeit low-resolution, scale drawings which should help. Send me a private message if interested. Here's a sample:

Edited March 29, 2017 by Space Ranger
Add image.

[Yankymodeler]

28 minutes ago, Space Ranger said:

I have just been sent some excellent, albeit low-resolution, scale drawings which should help. if the person who sent them to me grants permission, I'll make them available to those interested.

 

I would be VERY interested in those when/if you get permission!

 

Eric aka The Yankymodeler

[Space Ranger]

You must be very interested indeed to post that 4 times! PM me with your email address and I'll send you a ZIP file containing that drawing and more. By the way, the drawings were sent to me by Mika Jernfors of Arctic Decals (http://www.arcticdecals.com/) whose business deserves your patronage! 

[wallyinoz]

wanted one ever since I saw this at Oshkosh 2015

 

[fightersweep]

13 hours ago, Space Ranger said:

I have just been sent some excellent, albeit low-resolution, scale drawings which should help. Send me a private message if interested. Here's a sample:

 

Hi Space Ranger;

 

Thanks for posting the plans. They look just the ticket! I may drop a PM your way for the files.

 

Thanks also for the link to Arctic Decals. I've just had a look around the website and I'm tempted by several sets of decals. Particularly the Demon demonstrator. I notice that he offers custom decals...I wonder what the prices are like? I've got a Piper Navajo I simply have to do as G-NMAN!

 

Best regards;
Steve

[provencenut]

Hi Steve,

 

Just feel free to ask the prices for the custom jobs I can't quarantee fast shipments for custom jobs, but at least those can be done...

 

Cheers,

Mika

Arctic Decals

[fightersweep]

Hi Mika;

 

Thanks for the reply and good to hear from you. Must say that I was impressed with your website and I'm glad Space Ranger posted up the link here.

 

Shall I drop you a message via your website regarding the custom decals?

 

Best regards;
Steve

[provencenut]

Steve, you can post your email to mika.jernfors[at]ippnet.fi

 

Cheers,

Mika

[fightersweep]

Hi Mika;

 

Consider it done!

 

Best regards;

Steve

[fightersweep]

Hi Mika;

 

Email sent!

 

Best regards;

Steve

[72modeler]

Fightersweep,

 

You didn't state whether or not you had found these Howard 500 resources, so if you have, I'm sorry for the duplication. In the 60's my grandfather was head of the airport maintenance department at San Antonio International and lived in a house on the airport provided by the aviation department; the house was located behind the ramp and the hangars  where Dee Howard rebuilt Lodestars, Venturas, and the Howard 500's. I used to get chased off of the ramp and back into the yard by the Howard people as I would camp out on the grass to watch them fire up and taxy out their completed airplanes- the Howard 500's were very impressive, and man, were they fast!

Mike

 

http://www.deehoward.org/the-dee-howard-legacy/innovations/howard-aero-innovations/item/howard-500

 

http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/howardviptwinenginep/

 

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-11-12/rare-vintage-bizliner-hits-market

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5V4flYdRBw

 

[Jessica]

Following that youtube link brought me to this one. There's a really great shot of the shape of the wing planform about halfway through.

 

[72modeler]

9 hours ago, Jessica said:

Following that youtube link brought me to this one. There's a really great shot of the shape of the wing planform about halfway through.

 

Yep! With those two R-2800's, she sounds like two Corsairs flying line abreast! Good one, Jessica! You can sure see the modifiedPV-2  wing planform in the video. Wonder how many gallons per hour those two honkin' radials consume, even at cruise settings?

Mike

[fightersweep]

Hi Mike, 

 

Thanks for the interesting links and your memories of the Howard...I appreciate that and no, I hadn't got as far as the research stage yet, so many thanks for sharing.

 

Jessica, 

 

Thanks also for the youtube link. Those fly-bys must have been pretty impressive in person...and the sound must have been awesome!

 

I'm not sure if I have the necessary modelling Jedi powers to try and build a Howard 500, but I've got nothing to lose in having a go. Either way, I'm learning a lot about a type I wasn't that familiar with, so that initself is a good thing.

 

Thanks too, to all those that have/are contributing to the thread!

 

Best regards;

Steve

[72modeler]

You do realize that as soon as you figure out the conversion and build one, somebody will release a state-of-the-art kit?

Mike

[NAVY870]

I think I could find room in the shed for one of those.

 

[fightersweep]

11 hours ago, 72modeler said:

You do realize that as soon as you figure out the conversion and build one, somebody will release a state-of-the-art kit?

Mike

 

I was kind of counting on that happening Mike! 

[James Venables]

I'd love to see you go ahead with this. I don't know much about the aircraft but I am becoming more interested in the more obscure types as I get older. I have read this thread with interest and despite all of the technical information given which suggests a build is not possible, your proposed conversion does not involve a full sized metal aircraft but a scale model in plastic. Sure enough, it will take a fair amount of work but cutting, adding, filling, converting, scratchbuilding, kit-bashing, scribing, modifying, fabricating, etc, etc is all part of the fun of the hobby so have a go!

 

I'm doing a rather less complicated conversion myself at present: a Do-28B in 1/72 scale from a Huma Do.27 with a few parts from a Matchbox/Revell Do-28D and a large amount of scratchbuilding. A few fellow modellers told me it couldn't be done but I am happy with my progress so far. I plan to finish it as an Air America example operated in Laos.

 

Incidentally, I also plan to do a Volpar Beech conversion in 1/72 scale from a Hobbycraft Beech 18. Again, it will be a somewhat complicated conversion) eg. it will require a whole new wing & engines) but it looks do-able to me. Again, it will be an Air America example.