1/72 Lockheed C-60A Lodestar

by Nils Mathisrud

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  Norwegian Constitution Day 2008 

 

The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a development from Model 14 Super Electra.  Basically it had a lengthened fuselage and an increased wing area.

During WW2 a Norwegian unit operated on the BOAC route between Leuchars, Scotland and Stockholm.  A total number of 12 Lodestars were used, all being acquired by the Norwegian Government for the role.  The Stockholm route also had a British section, operating Hudsons, Mosquitos, Dakotas as well as some other types.  It was not uncommon though that Norwegian crew flew British aircraft and vice versa.

There was no model kit of this aircraft type until Special Hobby released its Lodestar kit some 18 months ago. The Special Hobby kit is based on the MPM/Italeri Hudson kits, with a new fuselage and a few other parts. Unfortunately no new wing is included, only an etched metal wing extension part for each wing, making it rather difficult to get a good result.

I must say that this is not a kit for beginners. Still I enjoyed building it. I made two major improvements, I opened up the slots in the wings and I scratchbuilt new wheel wells. The model is painted in US Olive Drab upper surfaces and British Night undersides. The kit has decals for an aircraft operating on the Stockholm route, as well as two of the unit's aircraft post WW2, one in combined British/Norwegian military markings from 1945 and another in Norwegian Air Force markings. Unfortunately the decals have inaccuracies for all three options. I thus ended up making my own decals for the registration letters and using Xtradecal dull red and blue for the stripes.

Nils

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Photos and text © by Nils Mathisrud