MPM 1/72 Lockheed Vega 5 on Floats By JIm Schubert

History

The story of the Vega was told in the review of MPM's initial release of their Vega kit, as Jimmy Doolittle's Shell Oil Vega and a USAAC UC-101, in the October 2003 issue of Internet Modeler. That review was followed by a review of their second release, as Wiley Post's Winnie Mae and Amelia Earhart's Little Red Bus, in the April 2004 issue. The Sprue Bits section of the May 2004 issue had an illustrated note defining the mass balanced ailerons used on some Vegas. That Brings us up to the latest release of the MPM Vega, as Alaska Coastal Airlines NC-47M "Nugget".

The Kit

Most of the parts in this release of the Vega on floats are identical with the first two releases. The floats, their struts and the ventral fin used on Seaplanes are added. Also, surprisingly, a forward cowling for the crankcase and a spinnered propeller are included among the parts not identified for use. This clearly says there will be another release soon of the early Vega with no cowling enclosing the cylinders of the engine. This opens up all kinds of additional options for building historically interesting airplanes, civil and military.

The floats are not accurate. the length and beam are correct for the Edo J-5300 floats with which NC-47M was fitted; everything else about them is wrong. It is quite obvious MPM used the William A. Wylam drawing titled: GENERAL ARRANGEMENT VEGA AND SIRIUS SEAPLANES - LOCKHEED, Page 4 of 4. following the drawing precisely, MPM represent the floats as asymmetric in plan when they were, in fact, symmetrical. They also got the step three scale feet too far forward. The kit's front strut attachment to the float is nine scale inches too far forward and the rear is 15 scale inches too far forward. See the attached sketch. The float strut attachment points on the fuselage are close enough to use. It is rumored there will be correct replacement after-market floats available around year's end. One last fault requires comment, MPM - still following Wylam - would have you use the small "round" fin and rudder rather than provide the correct tall, oval, fin and rudder used on NC-47M. See the attached sketch for the correct fin/rudder.

One set of civil colors and markings is provided for Alaska Coastal Airlines' NC-47M "Nugget" and, wouldn't you know, they got these wrong too - all on their own this time. NC-47M was blue and yellow as shown on the box art. The "Camouflage and Markings" instructions in the kit and the decals have the airplane being blue and orange. MPM did not include the ship name, "Nugget", which appeared on both sides of the fuselage below the cockpit side window. They also got the color demarcation atop the wing all wrong. NC-47M had several paint jobs in her long lifetime. Photos confirm that whilst carrying the Alaska Air Transport Inc name the yellow atop the wing was as shown by the kit instructions but when carrying the Alaska Coastal airlines name other photos show the color demarcation to be as shown in the attached scan of the cover of Jim Ruotsala's book. It is not known when the change occurred. You'd be safe using either wing top scheme with either airline name.

In 1940 Alaska Air Transport and Marine airways merged and the new joint name became Alaska Coastal Airlines. Late in its life NC-47M was given a P & W R-985 engine and the prop and cowl from a BT-13 as was her sister Vega at Alaska Coastal, NC-49M. both were then underpowered according to their pilots.

Conclusion

The Vega on floats in 1/72 is a long awaited and very welcome subject and we modelers owe MPM a big vote of thanks for issuing it. It is a pity that the subject is compromised by some large and some minor faults. Serious modelers will not, however, be put off by these problems; they can all be corrected without too much work and the subject is worth the effort. There are so many interesting color schemes for Vegas on wheels, floats and skis. All we need now is for the aftermarket decal makers to discover the Vega. Are you listening Messrs. Draw Decals, Whisky Jack Decals et al?

PS Mental telepathy must work. Today (8-23-04), Tim Bradley sent me an advance copy of the art work for Draw Decals upcoming release of the corrected decals for NC-47M including the Alaska Air Transport name, the later Alaska Coastal Airlines logo roundel and the ship name, "Nugget".

References

All but six of these were cited in the first review of the Vega in the October 2003 issue of this magazine. I am including the complete expanded list here for readers' convenience.

• Revolution in the Sky: Richard Sanders, Orion Books, New York, 1988, ISBN 0-517-56678-8.

• Wiley Post, His Winnie Mae and the World's First Pressure Suit; Smithsonian Annals of Flight N0. 8: Govt. Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1971, Stock No. 047-005-00008-6.

• IMPS/USA Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1968. The entire 38 page issue, written by W. A. Kelly, is devoted to the Lockheed single-engine family and how to convert the old Lindbergh 1:48 scale Vega into any airplane in the series. These conversions are applicable to all Vega kits in all scales; this is a terrific single source reference.

• IPMS/USA Quarterly Vol. 13, No. 2, 1977, Three page article by Rich Burchell on NC-47M. Beware - he got the colors wring on the illustration of NC-47M with Alaska Air Transport Inc. - it should be Blue and yellow. NB Only the airline name was changed on NC-47M between Alaska Air Transport and Alaska Coastal; all other colors and markings, including the ship name were unchanged.

• IPMS/USA Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1979. Five page article by Eugene J. Millikin with three pages of drawings setting out in detail the 1930, 31 and 33 configurations, colors and markings of Winnie Mae.

• IPMS/USA Quarterly Vol. 15, No. 2, 1979, Eleven page article by Eugene J. Millikin with eight photos and four pages of drawings covering both of Amelia Earhart's Little Red Bus Vegas.

• IPMS/USA Quarterly Vol. 15, No. 3, 1979. Two letters from Eugene J. Millikin following up details on Winnie Mae and the Little Red Buses.

• William A. Wylam's Vega drawings for Model Airplane News. Wylam drawings, including these, must be approached with great caution; they look great but too often contain serious errors.

• AAHS Journal Vol. 25, No. 1, Spring 1980: Article - Lockheed Vegas in Southeastern Alaska by Jim Ruotsala. Great pictures of NC-47M.

• Alaskan Wings - Aviation in Southeast Alaska; The Golden Years, 1935-1946: Jim Ruotsala, Seadrome Press, Juneau, 2002, ISBN 0-9658830-2-7. Cover illustrated here to show color demarcation atop wing of NC-47M.

• Internet Modeler, October 2003. MPM Vega review; Shell Oil & UC-101.

• Internet Modeler, April 2004, MPM Vega review; Winnie Mae & Little Red Bus.

• Internet Modeler May 2004, Vega mass balanced ailerons.