Lockheed Lodestar ZK-BVE in detail

[nuuumannn]

Revamped Lodestar ZK-BVE walkaround.

Built as a Model 18-10-01, Construction Number 2020 and originally ordered for United Airlines registered as NC25630 on 7 August 1940, transferred to the USAAC as a C-56D-LO and listed as 42-53504 on 8 May 1941. Transferred via Lend Lease to the RAF as AX756 on 1 July 1941 and was allocated the UK civil registration G-AGCN with Atlantic Airways Ltd based in Miami, remaining in the USA as it was not taken up before being shipped to Capetown, SA. On 29 September the aircraft came into the property of BOAC named 'Lake Victoria' and serving in East Africa, it remained as such until 19 November 1947 where as a condition of Lend Lease it was sold through the US Foreign Liquidation Corp.

On 27 January 1949 it went to the Campagnia Auxiliar de Navigacion Aerea in Spain and it was stored in Madrid and the civil registration EC-ADU was allotted, but not taken up. Transferred to the Ejercito del Aire as T-4-?? (unknown) some time in 1950 until 26 March 1954 when it was re-registered in the USA as N9933F with Minnesota Airmotive Inc. On 1 July 1958 it was sold to Fieldair, Gisborne, New Zealand and was ferried from the USA to Australia to Bankstown Airfield where it was modified by Fairey Aviation as a top dresser, arriving in New Zealand on 4 August that year. Transferred from Fieldair to Airland consortium in 1960. On 17 December 1969 it was damaged beyond repair in a wheels up landing as a result of hydraulic failure at Milson, Palmerston North. Its civil registration was cancelled in January 1970 and was flown to Whenuapai with its undercarriage down as a precaution on 8 November and taken to its current location in Auckland.

There are rumours that the aircraft was used in clandestine flights between Spain and the UK during the war, but these are thus far unsubstantiated.

ZK-BVE 01

ZK-BVE 02

ZK-BVE 03

ZK-BVE 04

ZK-BVE 05

ZK-BVE 06

ZK-BVE 07

ZK-BVE 08

ZK-BVE 09

ZK-BVE 10

ZK-BVE 11

ZK-BVE 12

ZK-BVE 13

ZK-BVE 14

ZK-BVE 15

ZK-BVE 16

ZK-BVE 17

ZK-BVE 18

ZK-BVE 19

ZK-BVE 20

ZK-BVE 21

ZK-BVE 22

ZK-BVE 23

ZK-BVE 24

ZK-BVE 25

ZK-BVE 26

ZK-BVE 27

ZK-BVE 28

[corsairarm]

You will all be please to know that the Lodestar is going into the restoration hangar now they have finished the Avenger. The Avenger is going into the main display hangar sometime in the next two weeks so after that the wings come off the lodestar and in it goes. This information has been gleamed from the members on my frequent visits to Motat. Unfortunately I do not have any photos of the inside of the Lodestar.

[suthg]

Ouch, that was a heap of photos to download on the cell phone. Good pics tho and very interesting subject - thanks.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using proboards

[komata]

Nuuumannn; Many thanks for the pics. Concerning your comment that -BVE was '...Transported to Whenuapai on 8 November [1970]'. It was a long time ago, but, from memory, wasn't she FLOWN there under special permit from CAD, with her undercarriage locked-down 'just in case', her trip being the last NZ Lodestar flight, ever?

As I said, it was a long time ago, so I could be wrong...

However, if I am correct, perhaps some of the membership have photo's of her arrival at Whenuapai?

[camtech]

Yes it was flown into Whenuapai, with the undercarriage locked down. Not sure of the exact date, but someone will know. I have somewhere photos of her at Whenuapai, parked near the fire station.

[Peter Lewis]

Ownership of ZK-BVE was transferred from Fieldair to the Airland consortium in 1960.

Flown Milson-Whenuapai 8Nov70.

The name 'Loadstar' was commonally used by Fieldair to identify their Lodestars, presumably in an attempt to impress the farmers with the aircraft's carrying capacity.

[Peter Lewis]

Jan 18, 2014 17:09:15 GMT 12 komata said:

wasn't she FLOWN there under special permit from CAD, with her undercarriage locked-down 'just in case', her trip being the last NZ Lodestar flight, ever?

Lodestar ZK-CGV crashed into the sea on finals at Gisborne 24Apr1971 and Lodestar ZK-BUV made its last flight Palmerston North to Gisborne 8Jan1973.

To round things off, Lodestar N56LH which was supposed to become ZK-XUS but never did flew into NZ before going to Rhodes museum at Wanaka on 2Dec1993.

[Dave Homewood]

I never realised "Flew The Coop" was on the US register, I thought it would have had a VH- registration.

[davidd]

Notice that the Lodestar which is the subject of this thread has the modified wing planform which lacks the trailing edge extensions which were very typical of this type (and its Ventura military derivative). Postwar many Lodestars had their mainplanes converted to this planform seen here, and thus the same as on the earlier Hudson/Lockheed 14 Super Electra. However none of the NAC Lodestars had this modification (at least not under their ownership) but it is likely that some received this modification after sale in the USA.
David D

[nuuumannn]

Yes it was flown into Whenuapai, with the undercarriage locked down.

Duly noted and corrections made - thanks guys. I guess it was not damamged too badly in its crash, then?

The name 'Loadstar' was commonally used by Fieldair to identify their Lodestars, presumably in an attempt to impress the farmers with the aircraft's carrying capacity.

he he, nothing like a bit of politicking to make a point - have corrected the thread caption - thanks Peter.

Please feel free to post images; I put these here for modellers and anyone else with an interest in the aircraft.

[kevsmith]

Re the post dated Jan 18, 2014, the crash location of ZK-CGV on 24 April 1971, was Napier not Gisborne -  just before I started at the Napier Aero Club as the CFI.

[Peter Lewis]

You are quite correct Kev.
I have rechecked the info on ZK-CGV and agree that the incident took place at Napier.

Have ammended my notes.

[ZacYates]

I'm rather late to this thread Grant - is there any chance you've reposted your pics on Flickr so we get them in all their glory?

Jan 19, 2014 6:12:12 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I never realised "Flew The Coop" was on the US register, I thought it would have had a VH- registration.

It did - it was VH-XUS. According to Aerial Visuals (link) and Ron Cuskelly's excellent Lockheed File entry (link) N56LH was cancelled 21/09/92 and was registered in Oz on 02/10/92. Philip Treweek's site has a great first-person account by Bob Livingstone of the Lodestar's trans-Tasman adventures (link).

[nuuumannn]

Jan 3, 2022 8:08:09 GMT 12 ZacYates said:

I'm rather late to this thread Grant - is there any chance you've reposted your pics on Flickr so we get them in all their glory?

Gee, not asking much are you, Zac! Leave it with me and I'll reedit them and repost them. I haven't been to my photobucket page since the whole PB debacle way back when, but I guess for things like this reposting might be worth doing.

[ZacYates]

No pressure! ;-)

I know the feeling - I’ve reposted a couple but should really go back and check…

[nuuumannn]

Jan 3, 2022 9:51:14 GMT 12 ZacYates said:

No pressure! ;-)

I know the feeling - I’ve reposted a couple but should really go back and check…

My pleasure Zac. Gotta go do some gardening because the yard looks like the Ho Chi Minh trail right now, but I'll load them this evening.

[nuuumannn]

Jan 3, 2022 8:08:09 GMT 12 ZacYates said:

I'm rather late to this thread Grant - is there any chance you've reposted your pics on Flickr so we get them in all their glory?

Redone at the top of the page. I'm going through my Lodestar images and will add pics of other Lodestars to a thread once I've done the editing.

Flew The Coop 01

[ZacYates]

Beautiful work Grant, thank you very much. I'm building a model topdresser that needs a Lodestar-style hopper outlet so I'm very grateful for those images in particular.

Also excited to see XUS in its own thread!