Lockheed Twin Tails (was: Lodestar lands at flight museum)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

"Lodestar lands at flight museum" is probably old news to the aviation buffs on this forum, but I saw a tv show on NGC this weekend about the move earlier this year of the Lockheed Lodestar CF-TCY sitting outside, to a museum in Victoria, Canada. Try catching a re-run sometime, it's great to see how they moved the fragile plane.

Picture below shows airliners.net picture of the Lodestar in it's old location.

I have an interest in this type of aircraft as the government of the Netherlands East Indies was probably the largest airline customer when they bought a fleet of 29 Lodestars before the outbreak of WW2.

Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

UCFV aerospace students to spruce up historic aircraft.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another Lodestar in Canada. Even though this one is in dire straits, a humongous effort is being done to saving it.

And surprisingly, there's a Dutch connection!

Our Lockheed 18 Lodestar was one of those slated to join the Dutch East Indies Air Force in Java in 1940 where it was to have been given the serial number LT-926. However, when the Japanese overran Java, the Lodestar was diverted (seized, might be a better term) by the U.S. Government to the Army Air Corps as a C-60-LO and given the serial number 42-108787. The Army Air Corps never used the plane and released it to Canadian Pacific Air Lines in the early 1940s.

Canadian Pacific Railways purchased ten bush airlines in a short period of time, finishing with the purchase of Western Canadian Airlines in 1942, to form Canadian Pacific Airlines. In 1943, the first Lodestar was delivered to CPA and was named CF-CPA. In 1943 seven Lodestars were allocated to CPA by the USAAF especially for use on the WSR, Alaskan Highway & Canol Pipeline.

HPIM3042.jpg

[Lang]

Hanno,

The Dutch also bought (I think 16) baby brother Lockheed 12's for Indonesia. These were the only ones fitted with dorsal turrets. They looked a bit ungainly on such a sleek aircraft.

Most were lost during the Japanese occupation and one was flown in a desperate escape from Sumatra to Ceylon with drums of fuel and hoses out the windows into the fuel tanks.

There is one left in a deserted hangar on Java which I have been attempting to buy for 20 years but trying to find the responsible family member of the now-deceased General who suddenly "owned" it in mysterious circumstances back in the 60's is almost impossible. It was still there when I looked a couple of years ago - with a Grumman Goose seaplane and a couple of T-6 Harvards.

Lang

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Lang,

Thanks for your response. Interesting to hear about the survivor you located in Indonesia. Here´s hoping you somehow end up buying it and fly it "back" to Holland!

A Lockheed L-12 (or L-212?) is preserved at the Netherlands Military Aviation Museum at Soesterberg, The Netherlands. Details I found list it as c/n 1306, which was delivered 6 February 1942 to Netherlands East Indies Government as L2-38. Somehow it ended up in Denmark, where it last flew in the 1960s and then was retired to the Egeskov Museum. It was transferred to Soesterberg in 1985 and put on outdoor display (see pic I googled). It is currently being refurbished.

Interestingly, as the Netherlands East-Indies Army Air Corps (ML-KNIL) was the first military customer for the L-12 and no prototype was built, the suggestion was made the L-212 was in fact developed in conjunction with the ML-KNIL.
Indeed 16 seem to have been on strength during the Japanese invasion, but more were on order. Possibly some of the diverted ones ended up in Australia?

Besides the Dutch connection, there is a personal connection: there is a good chance Johannes Blok, my grandfather´s brother, flew in (or even piloted?) a Lodestar or L-212 during his chequered flying career.

Regards,
Hanno

[Lang]

Hanno,

A long while back when researching the Indonesian Lockheed 12 I found a Lockheed-Boeing magazine with photos of the Dutch aircraft on the production line. I am sure it said they were built to a Dutch requirement and that was the only customer.

There are a few around the world (all converted back to civil without turrets and I am sure the escapees all came through Australia - probably some were given RAAF numbers like the Ryan trainers that escaped)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Indeed 16 seem to have been on strength during the Japanese invasion, but more were on order. Possibly some of the diverted ones ended up in Australia?

This webpage has a list of all L-12A´s and L-212´s in use with the ML-KNIL and Air Force both during and after WW2. Although a lot of details still need to be filled out, it gives a clue to the numbers in use. The list mentions seven L-12A´s transferred to Indonesia after the war of independence. It seems one of those is on Lang´s shopping list.

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

And surprisingly, there's a Dutch connection!

According to a 1943 recognition sheet, the Lodestar was first converted to military use in order to convey parachute troops for the Netherlands East Indies government. The Lodestars ordered by the NEI which were not yet delivered when the NEI capitulated, were taken up by the US Government. At least four of these were transferred to Canada.
Now, this newspaper clipping of the first official paratroop jump in Canada from a Lockheed Lodestar near Shilo, Manitoba (courtesy of Colin Stevens) most likely shows another Lodestar, but I like to think it was one of those Dutch Lodestar paratroop ships!

H.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

In 1943, the first Lodestar was delivered to CPA and was named CF-CPA. In 1943 seven Lodestars were allocated to CPA by the USAAF especially for use on the WSR, Alaskan Highway & Canol Pipeline.

A picture of CF-CPB in Alaska. Most likely also one of the ex-NEI order Lodestars.

Source

[Hanno Spoelstra]

This web page lists all the Dutch Lodestars: http://www.adastron.com/lockheed/lodestar/lt9-list.htm

They had a very chequered career, serving with the Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (ML-KNIL), RAAF, USAAF, USN and various civilian operators.

lt918.jpg

[Lang]

Good Info Hanno

Lang