C/N161 was delivered in Mar. 1933. It went through a host of owners starting with John Morrell & Co., Iowa, Braniff Airways, Oklahoma City, OK, Lloyd Earl, Fort Worth, TX., Fort Const. Co. Texas, Texas & Northern Airways, Sioux City Iowa, Whitehorse Div. used as a pers. transport during the ALCAN Hwy, Northern Air Service, Fairbanks, AK, Northern Consolidated Airlines, Fairbanks, AK, Marvin Greenlee, AK & CA, Mint Aviation, ?, Jack Lowe & Robt. L. Taylor, Iowa, Tom A. Thomas, Mid America Air Group, Ohio, then on to ? I guess the current owner.
(Info from Revolution in the Sky, Richard Sanders Allen, Orion Books, 1988)
I really don't know what Jerry Rader is referring to here. Perhaps if he had done a supcon of research before yawping he would have learned that my Vega was built with a metal fuselage. Like my mother said, "there will always be someone there to point out how you could have done it better."
This is impressive, however; it would have been even more impressive if it was a true restoration of the original which would have included an all wood fuselage. Can't tell if the wings are wood or metal but they were wood on the original airplane. To fabricate the wood fuselage would have been extremely difficult and it is understandable why it was not done. Good job!
It was one of nine metal fuselage Vega's built, at least according to this: http://www.antiqueairfield.com/articles/show/1504-lockheed-vega-restoration-update
Yes! Now on further research, the model series DL-1 airplanes had metal fuselages designed and built by Detroit Aircraft and shipped to Lockheed in California where they were mated to all of the other Vega parts including the engine, wooden wings and empennage parts and the interior/cockpit. Most of these airplanes were built under a standard type approval with only two of them certificated under the Group 2 classification. Thank you James.
John Magoffin spent 3 years restoring this magnificent ol' bird at KAVQ near Tucson. John is a GREAT guy and an excellent pilot. He owns several airplanes and flies the B-17 Sentimental Journey when he's not occupying the left front seat of an A-320.