Vega model 5 "Lady Lindy"

1
November 20, 2022
Two Vegas are underway here...the first the Amelia Earhart all red taxi with blocked windows...fuel tanks replaced the seats for her historic Atlantic Ocean crossing....

....the next is the Canadian Floatplane version that will get the Full Monty with a seated interior, full cockpit, cut and sanded opened door and the cockpit windows sawed up to get a sliding section for the tracks on the wing.....
2
November 21, 2022
...the entire Vega fleet (all four of them) got this nice retrofit of lower wing landing lights using the Eduard photoetch and clear epoxy...works great....
3
November 21, 2022
....the next two Vegas will get a more serious look at lighting and historic detail (at least the Earhart plane..not sure the Canadian plane has any real documentation_)..

.....for example, these Eduard position lights are also a decent upgrade to the kits (which are not bad at this scale).....clear epoxy might get some tinting for these...experimentation underway....
4
November 23, 2022
....this is a push for me...cut open wings and add parts....but, there is no doubt the Vegas mostly had this notch in the wings flaps....it just seems right to try this....
5
November 23, 2022
...after cutting and gluing the cutoff...this looks decent and with some filler and styrene stock here and there, it should work....
6
December 4, 2022
...this is the underside of the restored Earhart Vega in the Smithsonian Institution in the US....note the inspection windows...they are slim and orientation is tough to pick up....also note the landing light and position lights....finally, it has a small tie down attachment and the flaps have a very thin border at the wings...this is the goal....to get as close as possible.....with no numbers, etc...a bare wing...
7
December 4, 2022
.....so, a decision had to be made about the inspection windows...the kits part engravings are a bit too big and not quite right for size and orientation (but not bad at all for this scale in a kit).....i tried cutting them out and it did not go as well as planned and did not match the actual wing well....so, the outlines will be filled in and sanded down.....
8
December 9, 2022
...flaps, cutouts and styrene...sanding and filling to come....
9
December 15, 2022
...Vallejo primer used here...a little rough surface but some sanding smoothing to come...
10
December 18, 2022
....a red Vega.....1 part MM Red /1 part MM Insignia Red/ 1 part Mission thinner...it laid down well....as usual, the canopy is my biggest flaw area...its OK but could be better....Paasche Talon with .36 tip, 20PSI
11
December 18, 2022
...masking for the little inspection windows....
12
December 18, 2022
....was it worth it? sure...these panels are prominent on the actual aircraft
13
December 30, 2022
....the Amelia Earhart red taxi is now repainted with just Mission Red. Overcoat is the VMS Gloss varnish, that laid down well and hopefully will get even more shiny with another coat....Note: the VMS folks say a .4 airbrush tip and no thinner really needed....only if you WANT a clogged airbrush...i ended up using a .66 tip at 24PSI and thinning the gloss about 2:1 with the VMS thinner...much better...
14
December 31, 2022
I wanted to try these 3D rivet decals from Micro Mark....tiny as they may be.....
15
December 31, 2022
...the idea is these are the connections for the inspection window glass....these will blend in more once decal setting agent is applied...then they get overcoated with gloss...Micro Mark suggests these go on first then paint over them...that makes sense but these are on top of the paint...
16
January 9, 2023
...just a few decals for the Atlantic crossing version of the Amelia Earhart Vega....these will get overcoated with gloss, the little bit of panel lines will get done and then a satin overcoat.....
17
January 15, 2023
.....satin varnish overcoat by Winsor & Newton worked well here....i bought a lifetime supply somehow but it really is a good choice for satin coats.....panel lines are done and the wing brushed with some wash to help with the little detail it has....
18
June 11, 2023
...Building the undercarriage is a bit of a three handed exercise when you only have two hands....
...it all went together eventually...the white styrene rod is mounted to give a better connection for the wheel covers, seen here...
...getting close...just the prop and a few odds and ends remain...
19
June 12, 2023
...the underside is done.....

added are:....trimmed and painted undercarriage...wheels and wheel covers...landing lights with clear epoxy lenses....navigation wing lights at the tips...short exhausts....tie down connections were done on the underside and top of the wing some time ago as were inspection windows on the underside....only the prop is left and this fellow will be done....
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Comments

63 20 November 2022, 07:11

Cuajete
Following.

20 November 2022, 18:55

Живко Джаков
I'm watching with interest. I am temporarily not working on my Carl Benjamin Eielson and George Hubert Wilkins model project.

21 November 2022, 06:38

Lochsa River
...the Special Hobby folks used these exact molds to create an Amelia Earhart version....the fact the windows need to be filled in is sort of glossed over.....

...however, their decal guide states none of the wing decals or tail decals were present for the Atlantic Ocean crossing...just the gold striping....a sort of bare and austere but totally red model....

....so, the local modeler decided the inspection windows on wing bottoms will need to be drilled, cut and sanded out, with some appropriate gizmology (just added to dictionary) installed behind them with a clear covering....the wings will need something....and, this is accurate after a fashion and will be added to the no holds barred Canadian floatplane version underway....

23 November 2022, 05:25

Villiers de Vos
I will also follow along.

23 November 2022, 13:05

Jv
Will take a seat to
Fantastic work sofare

26 November 2022, 06:18

Cuajete
I agree with Jv 👍

26 November 2022, 18:31

Cuajete
Well done so far.

9 December 2022, 20:33

Lochsa River
Earhart version primed...still some rough spots

15 December 2022, 06:34

Skyhiker
Following

16 December 2022, 21:42

Michael Kohl
I have Earharts Electra in my stash. So anxious about this one too.

18 December 2022, 12:30

Lochsa River
REBOOT...the paint laid down well and much is fine...but, the windows, designed to leave a slight impression like the original...just did not work and will be filled in and leveled...the wing had fit issues as well...and i didn't like the canopy result...other than that...no issues....kidding aside, it all will get stripped off and redone...

19 December 2022, 20:58

Jv
I had to put sun glasses on
Very shiny nice work Lochsa

20 December 2022, 00:04

Skyhiker
I'm not sure if it is the lighting in the photos, but that red looks a little too orange to me.

20 December 2022, 01:46

Skyhiker
The windows on the wings might look better if you cut them out and fill them with clear epoxy or glue-in-glaze.

20 December 2022, 01:51

Robert Podkoński
That's serious modelling going on here - I am really impressed already! Keep it up, LR!

20 December 2022, 07:12

Lochsa River
thanks all....its not fun to reboot but it is necessary.

...the inspection holes were tried by cutting them out but i did not do it well...then i tried decals...no good...so, paint was the answer for this middling modeler...

....maybe the mix should be more RED than Insignia RED...i will adjust the mix a bit...

20 December 2022, 08:05

Michael Kohl
I cross my fingers. That some kit makers don't bother to adjust molds or give respective information holds true for Special Hobbys Lockheed Electra Model 10 too. To create a version Amelia Earhart flew, you too have to figure out, which panels to add, which windows to close, which antenna...you get the point.

20 December 2022, 08:24

Lochsa River
I quit making the Dora Wings 1/48 scale Earhart Vega due to no inspection windows and many other complaints....the engine was good, though...

20 December 2022, 08:33

Lochsa River
....it is hard to imagine how the orginal Vega looked when Amelia Earhart touched down after the famous Atlantic trip (with a 4000 foot uncontrolled drop over the ocean)...

....but it had no Lockheed painting on it and, upon reflection, i bet the red was a bit more red/scarlet than the plane in the Smithsonian...which was how it looked after the Lockheed people repainted it...

...a more subdued RED may be called for altogether...

20 December 2022, 11:43

Lochsa River
...if the views of the future for modeling are correct....a 3D decal of that window, complete with gizmology behind it and reflections, etc....will be provided as a file we all print and lay down as a 3D decal....

...sign me up....

20 December 2022, 11:54

Lochsa River
...check this out...

micromark.com/HO-sca..ther-surface-details

20 December 2022, 11:55

Łukasz Gliński
Joining the party, nice progress

20 December 2022, 14:53

Живко Джаков
About the windows. I have a similar drama. The version I'm trying to create has windows at the bottom and only a few at the top. And to complete the drama, the door is not visible in any photo. Apparently, customers had a lot of freedom when ordering the machine.
[img1]

20 December 2022, 18:22

Lochsa River
You are a brave modeler to take on so many changes in this small scale.

20 December 2022, 21:50

Skyhiker
I assume you have seen this link...
airandspace.si.edu/c..rt/nasm_A19670093000

20 December 2022, 22:00

Skyhiker
Youtube Video

20 December 2022, 22:06

Skyhiker
The color in the video is a little closer to your model than in the 29 photos from the Smithsonian's website. Just a touch more red should do the trick, but it's hard to say how close these restorations are. I would assume that they have done extensive research.

20 December 2022, 22:13

Skyhiker
Youtube Video

20 December 2022, 22:16

Skyhiker
The lighting in the restoration hall is better.

20 December 2022, 22:22

Lochsa River
These videos are great! Never stumbled on them in all the searches.....great closeups...

20 December 2022, 22:27

Skyhiker
[img1]

20 December 2022, 22:48

Skyhiker
gettyimages.co.uk/de..news-photo/517431984

20 December 2022, 22:54

Skyhiker
The tail number and logo seems to have evolved over time.

20 December 2022, 22:57

Michael Kohl
Thanks Skywalker for the links.

20 December 2022, 22:58

Skyhiker
pinterest.com/pin/19..-458663543291342079/

20 December 2022, 22:58

Finn
Love to see the final result

30 December 2022, 14:46

Skyhiker
Looks good

30 December 2022, 18:11

Transall NG
Nice ! I'm presently reading the excellent book from Richard Sanders Allen and i'm dreaming of Vegas...

31 December 2022, 23:43

Lochsa River
I finally read the fine print of the VMS varnish on their website (or any varnish?)......3-4 days to 75% durability and TWO WEEKS to final durability...i waited 24 hours...anyway,,,,the paint has been stripped off where the issue was and it will get repainted....

1 January 2023, 07:05

Cuajete
Looks great!

9 January 2023, 18:31

Mona
beautiful work looking good ,I haven't been able to locate the special hobby kit would like to build one

10 January 2023, 04:19

Lochsa River
The kits are no longer made but there are still some on EBay

https://ebay.com/itm/1254661..OA%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5zN-5-zYQ

https://ebay.com/itm/1551168..I0%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5zN-5-zYQ

there are other VEGA 5 versions by MPM using the same molds....i have extra decals...if you PM me, i will send some to you.

10 January 2023, 04:51

Michael Kohl
The color now looks really spot on. The surface seems to be still a bit grainy.

10 January 2023, 07:18