Planet Models 1/72
Lockheed Air Express
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History
The history of the Loughead brothers and their single-engined airplanes
was set out in my review of the first of MPM’s series of four (so
far) releases of Lockheed Vegas in the October 2003 issue of this magazine.
Only four Vegas had been built before the Air Express was developed in
late 1927. Lockheed believed there was a market for a fast open cockpit
mail plane to satisfy pilots used to the extreme aft position cockpit
of the slow DH-4 they were then flying. Western Air Express, flying the
mail between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, was Lockheed’s target
customer for this new type. Jack Northrop designed the Air Express as
a derivative of his Vega and it was named for the target customer. Jack
left Lockheed in 1928 passing the Chief Engineer’s job to Jerry
Vultee.
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Both Lockheed and Western Air Express extensively tested the first Air
Express, c/n 5. On its first flight on the line for WAE it came to grief
when it tripped over a wind-tee in Las Vegas and flipped onto its back
without injury to pilot Fred Kelly and passengers Will Rogers and Dr.
L. d. Cheney. The wreckage was rebuilt as c/n EX-2, registered 7955, and
used by Lockheed for development and as a demonstrator. It was the first
commercial airplane to be fitted with the new NACA engine cowling and
later the first to wear the elegant wheel pants that characterized so
many of the single-engined Lockheeds. C/n EX-2 became Frank Hawks’
“Texaco 5”.
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Our plane, Wasp powered C/n 75, NC/R3057, the third of a total of eight
air Expresses built, started its life on May 13 1929 as Lockheed’s
development/demonstrator plane. c/n 75 failed in an attempt by Lockheed
on the cross-country speed record. General Tire and Rubber Company bought
her as their entry in the 1929 Los Angeles-Cleveland Non-Stop Derby. Fitted
with a 525 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet, she won.
Shortly thereafter Gilmore Oil Company bought c/n 75 for “Colonel”
Roscoe Turner. The “Colonel” rank was self-bestowed for use
on his self-designed uniforms. Turner set many point-to-point speed records
with “Gilmore” carrying “Gilmore” the lion cub
as his passenger as a publicity gimmick. “Gilmore” was fitted
with his own parachute just in case. A Wasp replaced the big Hornet in
1931. In 1932 Turner bought the plane and acquired sponsorship from MacMillan
Petroleum and renamed the plane “Roscoe Turner’s Ring-Free
Express.” Due to extensive dry rot, beyond economic repair, c/n75
was parted-out and burned in 1940. I recently heard that some enthusiasts
in California had undertaken the construction, from scratch, of a reproduction
of c/n 75 in its Gilmore colors and markings.
The Kit
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As Planet is the limited-run resin division of MPM, It is no surprise
that the MPM Vega origin of many of the parts of this kit is obvious.
Lockheed added a parallel chord center section to increase the Vega wing
by two feet for the Air Express; Planet has done this to their (MPM) wing
too. The 48 cream-colored resin parts are cleanly cast with no bubbles
or voids. Four of the six landing gear struts are cast in extra strength
white resin. The engine provided is generic. I will replace it with a
Wasp engine from Aeroclub or Engines-and-Things. The propeller is also
a bit generic and I will replace it with an Aeroclub part umber PO29 white-metal
Hamilton-Standard prop. The ten cabane struts are included in the kit
but are not identified in the very cursory instructions. I suppose Planet
subscribes to the theory that real modelers don’t need no stinkin’
instructions! An oil cooler is provided but only one configuration of
Gilmore used an external oil cooler. The two small venturis mounted just
forward of the windscreen are not included. The landing gear struts are
the same as MPM’s Vegas and are, therefore, too long. Proceed with
caution here to achieve the characteristic squat look of the Air Express
(or the Vega).
The kit also neglects the pitot tube for the left wing and wing and
tail running lights. A tail wheel is provided but all the photos available
to me show Gilmore with a Vega-style tailskid.
The aileron outline on the underside of the one-piece Planet wing has
the ailerons scribed to correctly represent the balance panels but the
aileron scribing atop the wing has the, incorrect, unbroken leading edge
hinge line of unbalanced ailerons. Refer to the SPRUE BITS section of
the May 2004 issue of this magazine to learn how the ailerons should look.
As there is no rigging diagram, the casual builder is apt to miss the
eight short lengths of rigging in the cabane struts as well as the two
aileron cables running between the fuselage and the wing. It should be
noted that not all Air Expresses had standing rigging in the cabane struts.
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The two decal sheets, on is – apparently – intended as a
correction for the other, are a disappointment. As shown here in the color
photos of Bob Rice’s 1/24th scale Gilmore, the name “Gilmore”
was carried in large red letters outlined black under the right wing most
of the time and the registration on the wings was red with no outline;
not black as decal sheets have it. There has been some discussion on the
internet about different photos of Gilmore the lion showing there were
at least two visages; one being more fierce than the other. To me this
is a pointless exercise in 1/72 scale. The decal should also provide for
propeller tip stripes of red, yellow and gold from the tip inward and
Hamilton-Standard propeller logos. Some photos show General Tire and Rubber
Company lettering in white on the outside sidewalls of the tires; the
decal sheet does not include this lettering. A decal correction sheet
has been created by a Seattle area modeler. It is shown here. It is available
from me for US $7.00, postage paid worldwide. US dollars cash, International
Money Order or check in US dollars drawn on a US bank only please.
Conclusion
This is a really fine kit of a strikingly attractive “Golden Age”
airplane. The kit is only let down by the incomplete and incorrect decals.
Now what we need is some more after-market decals for the Air Express
and for MPM/Planet/Pavla/Special Hobby to use the Vega masters to tool
up the Sirius and Altair for us. How about it?
Our thanks to Planet for the review sample.
Hannants offer this kit for 27.00 pounds ~ $53.00 and Great Models have
it on special for $38.25.
References
· IPMS-USA Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 3 for July/September 1968.
This is the best single-source reference that a modeler can get for
the single-engined Lockheeds.
· Revolution in the Sky: Richard Sanders Allen, Orion Books,
USA, 1988, ISBN 0-517-56678-8. The best single-source history of the
single-engined Lockheeds.
· Scale Modeler magazine, December 1988: Bob Rice’s well
illustrated article on scratchbuilding his beautiful 1/24the scale Gilmore
Lion.
· AAHS Journal, spring 1964: Richard Sanders Allen article –
“Barrel Nosed Cigars” on Lockheed Air Express model.
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