The Lockheed Lodestar Model 18 is a transport aircraft developed from the previous Model 14 from 1939. It got a larger longer fuselage and a different empennage. First flight was beginning 1940. During the Second World War, many aircraft were built with a total of about 625 in several variants. The Lodestar was also ordered for the Dutch armed forces in Dutch East Indies.
Lockheed Lodestar
This particular Lodestar is a civilian aircraft and has a highly polished finish. It was as an R5O-5 for the U.S.Navy with the Bureau No 12474. It was later converted for civil used and seen here as "N631LS" in the USA and has manufacturer c/n 2404.
Photographed 2013 by Cees Hendriks, (c) copyright
Lodestar R-50
This Lodestar R-50-5A with code "12473" (s/n 2403) was seen at March Field Museum, Ca. in 2015 . It is probably the US Navy version.
Photographed 2015 by Cees Hendriks, (c) copyright
Lodestar fuselage in Dutch scheme
This Lodestar model 18 fuselage is painted in an old Dutch East Indies (ML-KNIL) scheme. It shows the black bordered orange triangle markings and code "LT909". It is however not original as the fuselage is of Lodestar C-60A-1-LO delivered to the USAAC as "42-55884". The "walk through" exhibit was seen at Pima air museum near Tucson, Arizona in 2015
Photographed 2015 by Cees Hendriks, (c) copyright
Just a few plastic models exist: in 1/72 scale, the best injection moulded scale model is of Special Hobby.
Lodestar enthusiasts can visit for Dutch historical info our IPMS NL Lodestar pages here...