Canadian Warplanes 3: Lockheed Lodestar

Lockheed Lodestar

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3650939)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 551), January 1944.

Ex-USAAF C-60A-1-LO, serial number 42-55873. To USAAF on 29 Oct 1942. To RCAF’s Eastern Air Command in 1943. Operated by No. 164 (T) Squadron, at RCAF Station Moncton, NB as 23Jan 1943 to 1945. Put into storage with 2,512:40 hrs since new with no overhaul. Struck off and sold. To civil register as CF-FQW with unknown owner. Sold to Bancroft Industries on 27 Oct1949. To H.K. Gilbert on 03 Feb 1950 and US registered as N62H on 12 Apr 1951. To S.J. Groves & Sons Co on 3 Jul 1954. Re-registered as N500W on 13 Jun 1957. To Texas Electric Service Co. on 22 Jun 1962. Re-registered as N33A on 26 Jun 1962. Converted to Howard 250configuration in Oct 1963. To Knickerbocker Corp on 19 Feb 1971. To First National Aircraft Incon 17 Sep 1971. To Karol Investment Corp on 24 Jan 1972. To Florida A/W International Inc on10 Jul 1972. Returned to Karol Investment on 19 Dec 1972. Back to Florida A/W International Incon 31 Dec 1972. Returned to Karol Investment on 19 Feb 1974. To R.C. Cunningham on 19 Feb1974. The a/c was seized by US Gov’t agents for drug-smuggling on 13 Sep 1976. Sold by GSA to A.D. Mallard on 2 Mar 1977. To Mountainaire Inc. on 26 May 1977. To Atlas Aircraft Corp on15 Jun 1979. To C. Torres on 22 Mar 1982. Impounded at Nassau in the Bahamas for drug smuggling in Apr 1984. Still stored there as of 1988. Cancelled from the US registry by May1989. Fate unknown.

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 552)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 553)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3583149)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 554), 7 February 1944.

Ex-USAAF C-60A-5-LO, serial number 42-55905. To USAAF on 06 Jan 1943. To RCAF’s Eastern Air Command as of 26 Jan 1943 and operated by No. 164 (T) Squadron, RCAF Station Moncton, NB. To No. 168 (HT) Squadron, RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario as of 19 Jan 1945. Struck off and sold. Re-registered as NC9095H. Delivered from Canada to Belgium via Prestwick on 25 Mar1947. Re-registered as OO-GVP to Air Transport SA on 4 Apr 1947. Crashed in 1948 at Wadi Half in the Sudan when the starboard engine failed on t/o. The u/c collapsed upon landing and the a/c was destroyed by an ensuing fire.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3583149)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 554), 7 February 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3643717)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 555), RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, 23 Nov 1943.

Ex-USAAF C-60A-5-LO, serial number 42-55926. To USAAF on 06 Jan 1943. Transferred to the RCAF and operated by No. 168 (HT) Squadron, RCAF Station Rockcliffe, ON, as of 5 Mar 1943.Nicknamed "Muggs" while with this squadron. Operated by No. 164 (T) Squadron, RCAF Station Moncton, NB, c.1943. To WAC as of 19 Jan 1944 and with No. 165 (T) Squadron, RCAF Station Sea Island, BC, during this period. Allotted to 6 RD for conversion to paratroop transport as of 8Mar 1945. Put into storage with 1,117:35 hrs since new with no overhaul. Struck off and sold. Registered as CF-FKW to World Wide Aviation. Ferried from Canada to Paris via Iceland andPreswick on 6 Jun 1947. Used by Fairchild Engineering / Photometer Co. through to Apr 1955.Registration was cancelled in Jun 1962. To Society Anonyme as of 15 Jun 1962 registered as FBKBY. The a/c was then damaged beyond repair when the a/c hit trees near Compiegne, Franceon 22 Jun 1962 causing the port engine to fail. The a/c was safely recovered but was never repaired and was later scrapped in 1969.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3643717)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 555), RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, 23 Nov 1943.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3224578)

Personnel loading cargo on to what may be a Lockheed Lodestar, RCAF (Serial No. 555), in May 1943.  This Lodestar could be one that was nicknamed 'Muggs' from No. 168 (HT) Squadron based at RCAF Rockcliffe, Ontario.

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 556)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 557)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 558)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 559)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3574085)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 560). Paratroopers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in front of the Lockheed Lodestar aircraft 560 "The Gremlin Castle" of No. 165 Squadron, RCAF, at Royal Canadian Air Force Station Rivers, Manitoba, 11 August 1943.

Ex-USAAF C-60A-5-LO, serial number 42-56013. To USAAF on 12 Jun 1943. To RCAF’s WACas 9 Jul 1943 and operated by No. 165 (T) Squadron, RCAF Station Sea Island, BC. To stored reserve as of 16 Oct 1945. Also detached to Camp Rivers, MB for paratroop training use. To NWAC as of 21 Dec 1945. Back to storage as of 23 May 1946. Struck off and sold, to civil register as CF-FQV to an unknown owner. Sold and exported as ZS-BZD. Flown to Paris as 19Jun 1948 and stored until 2 Jan 1949. Transferred to Israeli Ministry of Defence and registered as4X-ACL as of 26 May 1949. Crashed and was written-off near Paris, France on 15 Aug 1949,presumably on a delivery flight to Elsam.

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 561)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 562)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 563)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 564)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 565)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 566)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 567)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3583767)

Lockheed Lodestar (Serial No. 567), with A/M Leckie pennant on her nose and “Royal Canadian Air Force” over the rear door. While this Lodestar appeared to be reserved for the Air Marshall, the Daily Diary records it being used as a normal transport in No. 12 (Communications) Squadron at Rockcliffe, Ontario.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3583789)

RCAF Lockheed Lodestar with Maple Leaf, 25 July 1945.  Note maple leaf decal.

The roundel on the nose appears to be one of the officially produced 8" decals that displayed the RCAF “distinguishing emblem”. These were initially intended for use on operational aircraft overseas, but then their use was expanded to the operational aircraft on the Home War Establishment. (The photo in this post is from a photo of an actual decal that is held in the John Griffin collection at Winnipeg). (Steve Sauvé)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3583478)

Lockheed Lodestar, RAF (Serial No. FK771) visiting from Dorval, ground loop crash, RCAF Rockcliffe Station, Ontario, 7 February 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3583477)

Lockheed Lodestar, RAF (Serial No. FK771) visiting from Dorval, ground loop crash, RCAF Rockcliffe Station, Ontario, 7 February 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3321451)

Lockheed Lodestar, Reg No. CF-TCU  of Trans-Canada Air Lines outside administration building, Dorval. Quebec, c1940-1945.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3390772)

Lockheed 14-H2 aircraft CF-TCK of Trans-Canada Air Lines, Winnipeg, Man., c1940-1945.

(CPA Photo)

Lockheed Lodestar, Reg. No. CF-CPK, Canadian Pacific Air Lines.

‍

‍

‍

‍