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1/72nd scale vacuformed RarePlane Lockheed Vega converted to Dole racer


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On 10/17/2020 at 6:14 PM, Moa said:

The navigator had an external support on the fuselage under a removable window to plug a measuring instrument. The tailskid is added at this time too:

 

Hi Moa,

 

I am enjoying your Vega build, especially so since I have never seen this particular Vega modeled before.

The "measuring instrument" you mention was a Pioneer drift meter. 

I have a 1927 US Navy one in my collection, which is identical to this one in the NASM...

https://timeandnavigation.si.edu/multimedia-asset/pioneer-drift-meter

A number of the Dole Race airplanes were fitted with this drift meter.

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

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On 10/7/2020 at 9:20 PM, Moa said:

A note on the changes of this plane:

-There is a (possibly retractable) step on the nose to facilitate ingress/egress from the cockpit.

Yes, that foot peg on the port side of the nose is, indeed, retractable.

It was pulled out and pushed in by hand and was a simple circular rod with a flared head to give one's fingers something to grip onto.

I have copies of the old Lockheed drawings for these retractable foot pegs.

Only the first couple of Vegas had only the one foot peg, all those built after had two foot pegs.

Two foot pegs, on the port side of the fuselage, was the standard on all the other models, except the Orion 9 which had only one foot peg.

Lindbergh's Sirius was originally built with two foot pegs but was soon fitted with a 3rd foot peg as petite Anne Lindbergh could not stretch her legs far enough between the original two foot pegs.

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

 

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20 hours ago, VH-USB said:

Hi Moa,

 

I am enjoying your Vega build, especially so since I have never seen this particular Vega modeled before.

The "measuring instrument" you mention was a Pioneer drift meter. 

I have a 1927 US Navy one in my collection, which is identical to this one in the NASM...

https://timeandnavigation.si.edu/multimedia-asset/pioneer-drift-meter

A number of the Dole Race airplanes were fitted with this drift meter.

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

 

19 hours ago, VH-USB said:

Yes, that foot peg on the port side of the nose is, indeed, retractable.

It was pulled out and pushed in by hand and was a simple circular rod with a flared head to give one's fingers something to grip onto.

I have copies of the old Lockheed drawings for these retractable foot pegs.

Only the first couple of Vegas had only the one foot peg, all those built after had two foot pegs.

Two foot pegs, on the port side of the fuselage, was the standard on all the other models, except the Orion 9 which had only one foot peg.

Lindbergh's Sirius was originally built with two foot pegs but was soon fitted with a 3rd foot peg as petite Anne Lindbergh could not stretch her legs far enough between the original two foot pegs.

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

 

 

Thanks very much Tim for the additional information. All this data, of which I wasn't aware, gives the model (and the plane) more depth and provides a better understand of it.

As commented above, it was no easy task to sort the mislabelings and wrongly attributed photos. I was having a conversation with Lars Opland and Sønke Schulz (in another channel) and, just to give an example, the plan on Revolution in the Sky (Sanders) has these blips:

-The "Unknown insignia" is actually a round metal plate added to the retractable step (to access the cockpit) surroundings, most likely because the wood around it would get scuffed or damaged.

-The plan completely omits the image of the sponsor's logo and plane name on the sides (which in most photos fuses with the fuselage color and it's indistinguishable, save in a couple images).

-The "red nav light" on the tail seems an inaccurate depiction, as it looks as a white (normal) light pointing backwards (as it should be) with clear glass/plastic, and the front, -which may be metal or some early plastic or perhaps Bakelite?-, painted red or black.

-The side cockpit clear panes are the wrong shape, as they were triangular as it took off to oblivion, and again based on photos not of this specific plane at the time of the race.

-The information given for the vertical tail is in part untrue (the star was not surrounded with "circular" text, just had "Lockheed" at the base, on a straight line, and the plan most likely is based on photos of a different plane that had different details from a later Vega, unrelated.

-A thin door outline, said to be a gasket in the plan, seems to be present only in certain images and not in the photos of the day of departure, where it can clearly be seen with a thick tape applied in sections, with a little bit of overlap, perhaps to seal de door and avoid draft or delay water intrusion in case of alighting.

 

Many sources mix and confuse details from the plane in its early registration, some changes it had along the way, and its final configuration on the day of the race.

It is, indeed fascinating, and sort out information has become an interesting aspect of the build.

We are sorting out the decals with Mika now. Not an easy task, again.

But hey, there is also fun in the middle of all that head scratching.

 

P/S: I regret not having cut and dropped down the navigator's hatch on the wing to show a bit of its position in the interior.

 

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Not sure how or when I will use it, but I am glad I bought it. At a glance I could see some minor things that need attention, but that's for another thread:

IMG_2302+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2303+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2304+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Decals, by Cartograph, seem neat and sharp:

IMG_2305+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The new required vertical stabilizer for this particular version comes as a resin part:

IMG_2306+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The clear parts seem of good quality:

IMG_2307+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

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Aclad II Pale Gold happened to be one of those Alclad colors that do not provide a nice shine, unlike other of its metal colors that behave nicely. The consistency is thicker and the coats render a "grainy" feeling. This one will have to be smoothed with a clear coat product to provide more "lift":

IMG_2316+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2317+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

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On 10/24/2020 at 1:15 PM, Moa said:

 

Thanks very much Tim for the additional information. All this data, of which I wasn't aware, gives the model (and the plane) more depth and provides a better understand of it.

As commented above, it was no easy task to sort the mislabelings and wrongly attributed photos. I was having a conversation with Lars Opland and Sønke Schulz (in another channel) and, just to give an example, the plan on Revolution in the Sky (Sanders) has these blips:

-The "Unknown insignia" is actually a round metal plate added to the retractable step (to access the cockpit) surroundings, most likely because the wood around it would get scuffed or damaged.

-The "red nav light" on the tail seems an inaccurate depiction, as it looks as a white (normal) light pointing backwards (as it should be) with clear glass/plastic, and the front, -which may be metal or some early plastic or perhaps Bakelite?-, painted red or black.

-The side cockpit clear panes are the wrong shape, as they were triangular as it took off to oblivion, and again based on photos not of this specific plane at the time of the race.

 

Hi Moa,

Your Vega is looking marvelous in it's gold paint. It look exactly like the real plane. I am really enjoying this build.

Yes, there are any number of errors in the 'Revolution' book but it still is the best on these early single-engine Lockheeds.

The drawings in the back of the book are the most problematic, concerning colors and markings. I am sure you have noticed this.

Just a couple of brief comments about 3 of your error remarks.

-Yes, that is a metal plate behind the retractable foot peg, and as you surmise correctly, the metal plate was to protect the wood fuselage.

This metal plate was circular on the very first Vegas but was shortly changed to an oval shaped which became standard.

This metal plate was standard on all models but, for some reason, the 3rd foot peg later added to Lindbergh's Sirius does not have this metal plate.

-The rear navigation light is indeed white. It was made of white glass and the bulb within was clear.

All the navigation lights on these Lockheeds were colored glass, with clear bulbs. They were sourced from the Grimes lighting company, which is still producing lights for aircraft.

-Yes, the cockpit glass/panels on the first few Vegas were noticeably different from what would soon become the standard Vega cockpit glass layout.

If you build any more of the single-engine Lockheeds feel free to contact me as I have a fair number of old Lockheed blueprints/drawings which cover a range of details.

I can't wait to see your Vega in it's finished markings!

 

Cheers,

Tim

Quote

 

 

 

Edited by VH-USB
Correction
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3 hours ago, VH-USB said:

 

Hi Moa,

Your Vega is looking marvelous in it's gold paint. It look exactly like the real plane. I am really enjoying this build.

Yes, there are any number of errors in the 'Revolution' book but it still is the best on these early single-engine Lockheeds.

The drawings in the back of the book are the most problematic, concerning colors and markings. I am sure you have noticed this.

Just a couple of brief comments about 3 of your error remarks.

-Yes, that is a metal plate behind the retractable foot peg, and as you surmise correctly, the metal plate was to protect the wood fuselage.

This metal plate was circular on the very first Vegas but was shortly changed to an oval shaped which became standard.

This metal plate was standard on all models but, for some reason, the 3rd foot peg later added to Lindbergh's Sirius does not have this metal plate.

-The rear navigation light is indeed white. It was made of white glass and the bulb within was clear.

All the navigation lights on these Lockheeds were colored glass, with clear bulbs. They were sourced from the Grimes lighting company, which is still producing lights for aircraft.

-Yes, the cockpit glass/panels on the first few Vegas were noticeably different from what would soon become the standard Vega cockpit glass layout.

If you build any more of the single-engine Lockheeds feel free to contact me as I have a fair number of old Lockheed blueprints/drawings which cover a range of details.

I can't wait to see your Vega in it's finished markings!

 

Cheers,

Tim

 

 

Once again thanks, Tim!

Cheers

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Whilst it's in my mind:

To further add to Tim's contributions to the particularities of this Vega, and since we mentioned nav. lights, this Vega had the wing nav. lights as some sort of "limpets" (i. e. no stalk) on the upper surface of the wing, aligned in span with the outer edge of the ailerons (a position further in than usual) and a small distance behind the trailing edge. The tinted nature of the covers is evident in photos:

Nav+light+1.jpg

 

Nav+light+2.jpg

 

Nav+light+4.jpg

 

 

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10 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Looking good in Gold Moa, once glossed over if will pop i am sure. Pitot looks good too fella. 

Chris

Thanks, Chris!

 

The nice sunsets continue (to fellow Californians: those strange fluffy things in the sky are called "clouds", and they may even produce something called "rain", made of water, if you can believe that. I know because I was born in Argentina.

IMG_2329+%25281280x953%2529.jpg

 

and this Sunday's treat: Argentinian asado!, for Mrs. Moa and myself.

IMG_5388.jpg

 

The isles' savages may recognize one item: "Morcillas", stolen from us during the British Invasion to the country in 1806 and 1807 and rebranded as "Black pudding". The cheek! :ner:

 

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I like the Vegas, Moa, and have enjoyed seeing this build come together.  Last year while reading about Amelia Earhart I began thinking about scratching a 1/32 (oh the horror) Vega 5.  I bought the Revolution book, a 1/32 Williams Whirlwind and made numerous copies of Vega plans.  Everything but the t-shirt.  Luckily I came to my senses and realised I’d probably end up with another half built shelf sitter.  So now I’ll content myself with following your peerless Vega builds.  Really looking forward to your take on Earhart’s.

 

Dennis

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37 minutes ago, DMC said:

I like the Vegas, Moa, and have enjoyed seeing this build come together.  Last year while reading about Amelia Earhart I began thinking about scratching a 1/32 (oh the horror) Vega 5.  I bought the Revolution book, a 1/32 Williams Whirlwind and made numerous copies of Vega plans.  Everything but the t-shirt.  Luckily I came to my senses and realised I’d probably end up with another half built shelf sitter.  So now I’ll content myself with following your peerless Vega builds.  Really looking forward to your take on Earhart’s.

 

Dennis

Dennis, I am sure you would have pulled it off, but it would have required time, effort and dedication in measures way above the normal, for sure.

My build surely will not be peerless, but if it is fun for me, of some interest to others, and renders a reasonable model, then I am happy enough.

One learns a lot, that's for sure, thanks to the additional data from knowledgeable fellow BMers like Tim, and the research while preparing and during the build.

Thanks for riding along and your always encouraging comments.

Cheers

 

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I was dissatisfied with the finish, the gloss coat did not improve the surface greatly (note to self: do not use Alclad II Pale Gold, it's too grainy). A light sanding, cleaning, and re-spraying with Vallejo Metal Color acrylic Gold, and problem solved:

IMG_2345+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Redtail hawk visit of the Golden Eagle model (appeared flying over the backyard), maybe a good omen 😄:

IMG_2341+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2342+%25281280x958%2529.jpg

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4 minutes ago, corsaircorp said:

For the alclad that did'nt shine enough, I tried this !

The shine depends of the primer,

In the ongoing Seversky racer thread you may see the painting sequence I use, detailed.

I never airbrush Alclad over primer directly, I always use a gloss enamel base.

I had no problems (as just stated in that thread) airbrushing Alclad II aluminium and polished aluminium. But certain colors of Alclad are notoriously grainy and many modelers have reported this.

I tried their Pale Gold here for the first time, and it definitely belongs to the grainy category, together with other Alclad shades -that also tend to gunk in the bottle.

I never experienced that with their chrome, aluminiun, polished aluminium, pale burnt metal, and some other light colors, but many of my other, darker Alclad shades are total crap.

Again, this has been discussed previously in BM, and other brands suggested.

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What an epic collection of details and reference for this from you and Tim! 

Never ceases to amaze me the expertise that comes up on the BM threads. 

Just as an aside and ref gold paint, I remember my Dad telling me about the preparations of a batch of Hawker Hunters to be sold to India. This was while working for Shorts in Belfast. 

The roundels and national markings were to be green, white and gold. 

But it was taken to mean the same as the Irish Republic flag, which is green white and orange but is always referred to as "the Green White and Gold" 

Well, when the Indian Forces team turned up to inspect their shiny Hunters, the paint job got the thumbs down and a respray was required on the details. 

Something similar to what you have used! 

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Oh that looks much better Moa and a visit from a Golden Eagle too, wow.

 

You have become a bad influence on me, I have bought and had delivered today 4 models all got very reasonably priced off the same seller 

Williams brothers 48th Corban super Ace

48th Ford Flicker

Lindberg 48th Travelair Mystery ship with resin cockpit and engine and aa Howard Ike DGA 5 

I am going to scratch my racing plans itch.

Chris

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2 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

What an epic collection of details and reference for this from you and Tim! 

Never ceases to amaze me the expertise that comes up on the BM threads. 

Just as an aside and ref gold paint, I remember my Dad telling me about the preparations of a batch of Hawker Hunters to be sold to India. This was while working for Shorts in Belfast. 

The roundels and national markings were to be green, white and gold. 

But it was taken to mean the same as the Irish Republic flag, which is green white and orange but is always referred to as "the Green White and Gold" 

Well, when the Indian Forces team turned up to inspect their shiny Hunters, the paint job got the thumbs down and a respray was required on the details. 

Something similar to what you have used! 

Interesting story! "The customer is always right".

And yes, the Borg BM Collective is wiser than any of its parts!

 

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20 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Oh that looks much better Moa and a visit from a Golden Eagle too, wow.

 

You have become a bad influence on me, I have bought and had delivered today 4 models all got very reasonably priced off the same seller 

Williams brothers 48th Corban super Ace

48th Ford Flicker

Lindberg 48th Travelair Mystery ship with resin cockpit and engine and aa Howard Ike DGA 5 

I am going to scratch my racing plans itch.

Chris

Hey, don't blame me! blame the racer designers!

They are a lovely bunch, and their attraction is difficult to resist...

Good choices all of those!

I couldn't resist to scratch the Ford Flivver in 1/72 and 1/100!:

 

 

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On 10/26/2020 at 10:33 PM, Moa said:

The isles' savages may recognize one item: "Morcillas", stolen from us during the British Invasion to the country in 1806 and 1807 and rebranded as "Black pudding". The cheek! :ner:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pudding

 

You may notice a reference to "one 15th century recipe"...

Not stolen from Argentina. More likely imported to Argentina!

 

Paintwork looking good too!

 

Ian

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