Lockheed PV1 and Lodestar in 1.48 (Civil) )

[rob Lyttle]

There's a fair few snags to sort out yet, Dennis, and catching up with things left behind, but it does feel like it's on the way, with a major modification issue solved. 

Have you had a look in your Lodestar box recently?? Or just relaxing? ☺️

[DMC]

8 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said:

Have you had a look in your Lodestar box recently??

I have.  When you restarted your’s I had a look to see where I’d left off.  Why I put it aside I can’t remember but I do it all the time. I need to get the big Boeing painted but the weather has been so rubbish lately I’m holding off until it improves a bit.  Too big to paint inside so I need a nice dry day.

 

Meanwhile, I’m getting into Real Space a little and working on a Revell Shuttle.  Pretty close to completion so maybe I can break my modelling duck.

 

Cheers, Rob, stay safe.

 

Dennis

[bigbadbadge]

Wow  fantastic progress Rob , the Stb wing with engine on etc looks amazing . Cracking job fella.

Chris

[rob Lyttle]

General foil application proceeds, and the only variation from the norm is the use of piedish Ali on the balsa wood sections, on the bobbins. I know it seems quite bendy and pliable when you've got a pie in it, but when it comes down to this scale it's a bit more rigid and unwilling to take a compound curve shape of any degree. 

It will stand a good amount of filing and abrasion though! 

I also decided to fit formers in the wheel bays at the spar position. 

There's a piece very similar to this in the 1.72 MPM Lodestar kit with just some kind of leg retention mechanism suggested. This will offer a bit of support for the well outer sections when the time comes. 

With a view to sorting the details of the leg fitting, I reckon I need a pair of legs made up. And there's a modification needed on these. 

The Ventura has a double scissors front and back and a brake pipe curling out over the front scissors. 

It's on the left side here.... 

On the right is my modified leg for the Lodestar. The nicely moulded brake pipe will snip off in one piece, the front scissors removed and the pipe will happily go onto the rear of the leg and point of the rear scissors. 

I'm hoping that this is right. A big loop of flexible hose sticking out the front with no support would be just plain wrong, wouldn't it? 

Well, I've got some legs to work with and plan the way forward. I'd like to at least have a plan of action thought out for these before proceeding. 

Edited January 25, 2021 by rob Lyttle
Link repair

[rob Lyttle]

OK, just a trial fit with the one outside panel I have, complete with diagonal slot, and the matching (unaltered) gear leg, and it's looking about right. 

 

Nothing fixed yet, just a trial fit 🤩👍

[rob Lyttle]

Another cowling constructed and a milliput intake made on top. And various other things sorted out. 

General Arrangement with the parts slotted together shows the state of play. 

 

 

In the background, loitering among the debris patiently, is a Heller Caravelle in 1.100 scale that needs finishing for the Heller Group Build. I'd better get on with it!! They're just starting to "call them in"

The kit was first issued in 1957 and was Heller's first ever plastic kit. (mine is a reissue). This makes it totally contemporary with the 2nd prototype aircraft and the first batch of Airliners going into service. Obviously the Pride and Joy of France!! I've done it as the 2nd airframe F-BHHI, still in Sud Aviation livery. 

So I may be a day or two..... 😎

[bigbadbadge]

Great updates Rob, some fantastic work,  I was thinking I should say something about doing all the legwork after seeing your fantastic modified U/C but thought better of it!!!

Great work 

Chris

[rob Lyttle]

3 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

say something about doing all the legwork

Maybe I should shake one and see what happens 

[rob Lyttle]

I'm just trying to organise a couple of pictures that illustrate the the difference in size of the nacelles and engines between the PV1 Ventura and the Lodestar. 

See if these make sense when looked at.... 

 

 

Fitting a pair of P&W R2800 18cyl engines in the airframe must have really raised the performance. It's like having two P47 Thunderbolts harnessed together, or a pair of F4U Corsairs !! 

Quite a ride, I'd like to think. 

All credit to Lockheed for their construction of an airframe that could handle the upgrade and extra performance.

It puts me in mind of the Spitfire "chassis" which took many upgrades through the various RR Merlin and Griffon developments and seemed to just get better with each one. It started out with a 2 blade Watts propeller and ended up with 5!

[rob Lyttle]

Now then, guys..... 😎

Having another break from this epic, but...... 

I have the Wright Cyclone radials out and on the bench. What happened was, I've got this Sopwith Triplane on the go, it's in 1.48 and comes with a resin rotary engine that needs to be built from tiny parts and photo etch. 

So far so good but the pe pushrods are a complete fail in my hands. So I started using 0.4mm brass wire as a trial and while it's short of perfection, it's an improvement on the pe.

 

It was while I was doing this, waiting for a dot of cyano glue to work (or not!) that these Cyclones came to mind. 

I thought, I could be sticking pushrod wires in them while I'm waiting...... there's a lot of waiting involved in this process...... 

So out of the box came the resin Cyclone engines for some of the action.

I didn't stop to mess with paint etc, I did the wires while I'm in the zone. 

Here they are beside the little rotary engine. Much bigger and easier to work with. 

 

So this was the point where I stopped on the Lodestar - I needed to install the engines but I had to complete them first which was the reason for stopping. 

That hurdle has now been well kicked over. I really don't think I want to get involved with ignition wires and plugs. The coast is clear shortly to finish the engines and install them, and then get these cowlings and nacelles finished. And THAT will be a major milestone to pass for the Lodestar 

Woo hoo 😎‼️ Soon 

[bigbadbadge]

Oooooo good to see this thread back on .  Great to see the pushrod on.  Great work fella. 

Chris

[rob Lyttle]

That was a bit synchronised, Chris. I just been writing on your Ventura WIP! 

[bigbadbadge]

We must be psychic!!!

[rob Lyttle]

Now then, chums.... 😎!! 

It's been a long time, just over a year by the looks of things, since I worked on this epic project. Never forgotten of course, merely resting while I fiddle around with all this other stuff that's so interesting.... 😇

I've looked at the state of play in the box several times but no significant action taken. But I have solved most of the problems of the Lodestar conversion and really all I need to do is put the thing together! 

Well, I had a bit of luck on an auction site today which has given my Lockheed Twins mojo a shake from slumber. Among the various multiple lots are a couple of Lockheed's finest. I got another Academy PV1 VENTURA which makes a great little civil conversion, and above all, there's a Special Hobby Lockheed L10 Electra on its way 💞😀 Much sought after by me and has proved quite elusive until now. I think and hope that the box includes some civil options, eg  Amelia's plane. 

So the Lockheed Star is rising here. 

It will probably be a slow restart as I'm surrounded by stuff that needs building or repairing or generally finishing. I should mention that I'm now the custodian of the 1.48 conversion project that belonged to my friend and Lockheed colleague Dennis @DMCwho regrettably has had to quit the hobby through failing eyesight.

We were sharing a lot of information, ideas and reference material and generally egging each other on with the challenges of doing this conversion. ✳️✳️✳️Your company is is very much missed here, my friend ✳️✳️✳️

So there's a 2nd Lodestar in the pipeline to be completed by me on Dennis's behalf. 

I will be glad to take it on, it's another Lodestar so what's not to like?? 😀

 

So, a slow pick up where I left off, but I reckon once I'm into it, I can get something resembling a pair of Lodestar Airliners outta this 😎

Soon..... 

[Dogleg]

Hi - reading this with interest. First post and a quick question: does anyone know if the older Revell Ventura (85-5531) is viable for this conversion? Does it differ significantly in quality from the newer kit? I’ve seen the mentions of the new kit having a blanking plate for the turret and generally being a ‘box of joy’, so hope the older version is as good. 

Cheers!

[dcrfan]

26 minutes ago, Dogleg said:

Hi - reading this with interest. First post and a quick question: does anyone know if the older Revell Ventura (85-5531) is viable for this conversion? Does it differ significantly in quality from the newer kit? I’ve seen the mentions of the new kit having a blanking plate for the turret and generally being a ‘box of joy’, so hope the older version is as good. 

Cheers!

Any conversion from a Ventura requires not insignificant changes to engines and cowlings, engine nacelles, wing rear edges, rear fuselage and windows.  

[rob Lyttle]

1 hour ago, Dogleg said:

if the older Revell Ventura (85-5531) is viable for this conversion? Does it differ significantly

Hi @Dogleg, as far as I know they are all the same plastic moulding. I've worked on a couple of them.... 5531 seems to be the Revell USA item, and I have the European edition as 04662. Same kit with a variation in the decals sheet. There is an RAF type with a different turret and nose section with windows.

As dcrfan points out there are some major changes to make with any of these, to make an L18 Lodestar. 

Plenty of post-war Venturas were made over into civil planes, and they make a straight forward enough project. 

But to get a viable Lodestar requires some considerable amount of modifications, as you can see from this build. The kit does give you a good airframe basis to work on. 

 

I SO need to finish this one. It's almost there 😎

[Dogleg]

Thank you guys. Such a comprehensive build story that makes the level of modification effort very clear. Huge kudos …looking forward to the big reveal!

[marvinneko]

Just marathoned through this thread. Wow. So many techniques demonstrated here. Thanks for sharing all of it. Very inspiring. Lots to tru.

 

Hope to see you finish these projects.

[rob Lyttle]

Glad you enjoyed the read through @marvinneko. It's all a bit confused and mixed between Lodestar and Ventura projects 🤭

Well @Doglegyou've rattled my Lockheed mojo again. I mean I've been doing some other Lockheed builds but this old beauty has been sitting in the box for too long now.

The parts are out and I'm trying to pick up where I left off! 

The resin engines are now fixed on, and the last of the Ali cladding on the homemade nacelle "bobbins" is done. 

The game plan looks like - fit cowlings on the engines, fix the wings to the fuselage, get the main gears into position and then complete the nacelle outer sides by fitting the pieces around the gear legs. 

Then tackle the tailplane assembly.... 

One of the tedious little jobs that stalled halfway through was the fabrication of the ventilation vents along each side of the fuselage above the window line. 

So they got finished, 

I think I've gone oversized with this side but if I start fussing now it'll go back in the box 😋

I've been trying out with the riveting wheel as well - 

 

Not sure if I posted the completed Ventura on here, finished as Transportes Aereos Bolivar civil conversion, 

Some better pictures would be appropriate I guess, but glad to get that one done and dusted and off the bench. 

 

Right O, onwards we go 😎

[marvinneko]

Great to see this going again. Thanks for posting the Ventura. I have one in a box to be made i to a BcATP trainer and have been looking at builds.

[rob Lyttle]

17 hours ago, marvinneko said:

a BcATP trainer

Sounds interesting..... Who's that exactly?? Some kind of Air Training Group? Got any pictures? 

[dcrfan]

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan - the basis of all worldwide co-ordinated Commonwealth aircrew training

[marvinneko]

 

2 hours ago, dcrfan said:

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan - the basis of all worldwide co-ordinated Commonwealth aircrew training

Yup. We did 133k people... pilots, observers, wireless ops, air gunners from Canada, NZ, Aus, UK, and America (pre Pearl Harbour).

 

3 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

Sounds interesting..... Who's that exactly?? Some kind of Air Training Group? Got any pictures? 

 

The planes I'm familiar with were deliveries going from Lockheed through Dorval, Qc on their way to the RAF. They were snagged by the RCAF so we could train aircrew with them after they'd already done their flight/task training,  These planes had no turrets or guns yet and were in the RAF paint scheme.

[rob Lyttle]

The wings are on and the bunch of parts is now resembling an aeroplane. A Lockheed aeroplane 👍

The tailplanes are next up, and the plastic is on the board being disassembled into their component parts, 

The kit breakdown makes the process rather involved, but I've done the Ventura tail already, learned a couple of key lessons in the process. 

Each rudder needs to be split into top and bottom sections with a slice removed between, to accommodate the tailplane, and THAT needs rebuilding where the rudder strips are missing. 

Stand by, this may take a moment.... 🤔😇

 

Note to @Dogleg, none of my kits have a top blanking plate supplied, but of course a newer issue with new parts may well have such an item. Definitely would be handy, blanking off the space smoothly from scratch is a bit of a task 

Edited February 15, 2023 by rob Lyttle
Addition