Lodestar/L-18 at Chino early to mid 90's

[GARY HILTON]

I am looking for pictures of a Lockheed Lodestar/L-18, that was located at Chino in the early 90's, to mid 90's..I am not sure what color it was, but have been told that it carried German markings...a swastika or two on the plane...I have been told that it used to set about where Kermit Week's PV-2 is now sitting, by Aero Trader....Jog any memories? The only L-18 types that I recall back then, were the two Lockhheds that POF had next to the B-17...
Gary

[Roger Cain]

Hi Gary,

This would be the bird in question. Disregard my copywrite date, took this on July 30, 1995 on the Chino Ramp. On the opposite side were some spray painted washed out letters as N33__ . I saw this same plane in May of 1988 minus the German Swastika and the nose has the remains of what appeared to be a black and gray stripe that may have run all the way down the fuselage? Note the two different windows styles this one has, most had just big long windows on the fuselages.





During the same 1988 period was another Lodestar in two tones of brown, and marked as N5088. On July 30 1995, I photographed its scrapped remains on the ramp.

[John Kerr]

Here are a couple of photos of Howard 250, C/N 18-2548, N339. Dick Phillips sent these to me and asked for me to post them for him.

[Roger Cain]

Thanks John and Dick, this is one of the few warbirds I didn't have id for in my print collection.

[Joe Scheil]

I remember the day after the beige brown one was scrapped, it was a sad surprise. Any further info or pictures of that one? Who owned them at CNO for all those years?

The "Nazi" colors on the bare metal one originated from a young airline pilot from Orange County, Ca who eventually "made the papers" in the OC Register after holding Neo-Nazi meetings in his home and passing out the literature to folks down in the town. The airline fired him, the IRS audited him and I believe the plane is now at Planes of Fame...I don;t remember if he stayed in avaition...

[Joe Scheil]

Actually off of Air Britain....I had long since forgotten the N-Number...

[Roger Cain]

Gary, I hope this isn't considered as hijacking from your original post.

Poor old N5088, there ought to be a law.

[GARY HILTON]

Roger and John...Thank you!!! As for hi-jacking the post...I ain't worried....If you are going to add more pictures of big Lockheed twins...keep up the effort Roger!!

N339 is now in Texarkana, where we are disassembling to truck out of town...
I have looked all over the bird, but have found no traces of any swastikas or N-numbers, anywhere on her...Also no data plates to be found. I have been in contact with some of the folks who are afflicted with L-18/Howard addiction, and had mentioned that N339 was the one that sat in Chino until around 1996, where it was flown to Texarkana....

I'll tell ya.....all those years of sitting in the Chino Valley, amongst the dairy farms, I think that the methane gas and cow urine in the air has taken a mighty toll on the stainless screws that hold her together! Some of the worst corrosion I've ever seen.

And yes...I too think it a major sin to cut up an airframe like that....the culprit should be drawn and quartered.

[bdk]

That Lockheed was someone's home at Chino Airport for a few years...

[Roger Cain]

Maybe tomorrow I'll scan in a few more Lockheeds, glad to hear you guys have saved N339, and that it didn't go the same way as N5088.

[b747cf]

Here are a couple of Loadstars on my Lockheed page.
http://picasaweb.google.com/b747cf/Lcokheed#


Mark Fidler

[GARY HILTON]

Thanks for the photos Mark. Seems like there were quite a few Lodestars/Howards in the Florida area....by chance, were any ever named "The Black Swan"??? Kinda the modern version of Pirares of the Crib....

[Roger Cain]

If I were to follow color suit to the last one I posted, these two would fall in next.

N631LS is seen at Minter Field, Ca, 1990


N350A photographed at Sonoma County Airport, Ca in 1992, I photographed again at the same location (same colors) in 1996 as N1XV.

[GARY HILTON]

Thanks for digging those up Roger....By the way bdk...I used to stay in the B-17 at Chino...Piccadilly Lilly, for about 3 months in 1979...so I guess that there were two aircraft that were used for bunkhouses....I prefer to call mine the Hotel No Tell.

[b747cf]

No Gary never saw a name on any of them.

Mark Fidler