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Question about USA registers (Read 470 times)

May 13^th, 2012 at 11:55pm

multiprops Offline
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I Love Simviation.
Portugal

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Posts: 55

Is it possible to track/know buyer of a Lodestar re-imported into the USA in 7 of july 1953? Lockheed Lodestar type 18-26, Fabrication number 018-2007, registered in the USA with airframe number N9949F? This can be done or those registers/data are impossible to track down today in the USA?

Thank you for alll the help you can.

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Reply #1 - May 14^th, 2012 at 4:52am

wahubna Offline
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http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/reg_CS-.htm
Found some original info from Portugal.

Found an old photo of her
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=111975
Behind a DC-2 with a swastika!

Some other past info
She was formerly owned by Air Afrique with the reg of F-ARTG.
http://www.alger-roi.net/Alger/maison_blanche/pages_liees/27_bibert_1.htm

By the way, it looks like she became a Portuguese aircraft via being impounded in Portugal during the war considering she was French still in 1940.

By the way, you can search N#s in the FAA registry so I searched N9949F, all that comes up is this:
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=9949f

Which tells me 1) The Lodestar could be getting these numbers at some point since they were de-registered. 2) The fact that they were not re-registered tells me the plane is not flying at all. That could mean a few things like a museum bought here and stuffed her in the back hole of their storage lot, some poor sap bought her and ran her into the ground in some God for-saken manner, or some one bought her and scrapped her out....either way, not so good. You can check museums in the US to see if they will tell you some history of their Lodestar if they have one.

Neat little tid bit: the Lodestar preceding yours is in Finland!

EDIT: FOUND some VERY recent info on her! Through airliners.net I found a Lodestar with the cn 18-2007 with the N number of N1508. Her N-number expired in 04/05/2011. Using this tail number here is that number's history:

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=1508

Pictures of her with the N number N1508
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Lockheed-18-56-Lodestar/0546999/&sid=b5a543909252...

Another picture (opposite side)
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N1508.html

This hunt was awesome! Got another one??

‎"At that time [1909] the chief engineer was almost always the chief test pilot as well. That had the fortunate result of eliminating poor engineering early in aviation."- Igor Sikorsky

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Reply #2 - May 15^th, 2012 at 12:37am

multiprops Offline
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Portugal

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heheheh! well, yes, it was a glorious quest. BUT (there is a small detail that does not match): I had reached the same exact sites you mention, and also the FAA research site and I checked all the L18 registered there - but had not found this deregistered one

I even looked at airliners.net but I... (shame on me) fell asleep before checking their HUGE picture database (even let a question in the forum there). The only snag I see is: this is a 18-56, and the one I looked for originally was reported (in the sites you have seen too) as being a 18-07 (wrongly in my question I had written 18-26, a obvious mistake, such variant does not exist). So, could it be the same airplane? My opinion is yes, IF the 56's and the 07's shared serial numbers (2007). I dont know if I make myself understand: could it exist a 2007 (07) and another parallel and similar numbers like 2007 (56)? Personally I think it is a bit farfetched to exist two parallel numberings; I really think you found it, the original "Casablanca airplane" ! Wink

That was a great piece of research! With no false modesty I consider myself a very good and experienced "data-digger" but you put me to shame

Probably the old infos in those other sites shared a comon error: the lodestar 2007 it is in fact a 56 and not a 07. What do you think? Its the only detail that does noy match...

Ps: great great research! You have to share with me how you could find this one amongst the huge airliners.net database?? You searched by serial number or you went trough all of them?

Again: fantastic.

EDIT:it was in fact a DC3 with a swastica of Lufthansa (behind that one its a DC2 of Iberia but that one has no swastika)

The L18 It was not impounded: Aero-Portuguesa was in fact partially co-owned by Air France. F-ARTG in your link is presented as being a Air France airplane in the pic caption, not Air Afrique...

RE-EdIT: There are some diferences between the profiles (check windows) of N1508 and CD-ADD. Huh

Check this left profile of CS-ADD in a old timetable:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ISjkzoyMfx8/T1CWmfGNadI/AAAAAAAATaA/GrgW4s-HKBQ/s1600-h/Ae...

What do you think? could be a later modification by the american owner...?

Superconstellations Are hot, or what?

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Reply #3 - May 15^th, 2012 at 5:09am

wahubna Offline
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Ah, so the Portuguese operator got it through legitimate means. I had this idea that since France capitulated and it was putsing around North Africa, some sap more or less stole it! In hind sight, the partial-ownership between airlines would support the fact that the tail reg numbers are well established. If it was impounded that would probably not be so clear Wink

56=26 it seems. I did a quadruple take on that. BUT since you were looking for a Lodestar, I googled Lockheed's model numbers and 18-56 matched with the Lodestar. Its a really REALLY easy typo to make so I ran with it being a 56 not 26 Grin

from your initial source.

About the profile difference you see, I am not sure what you are referring too. Maybe my eyes are tired because it is 5:08am here (got work soon)....OR I looked at too many Lodestar pictures and they are all blending together! Wink

I found it in Airliners.net by searching Lodestar and looking at ~10 pages of Lodestars Grin

I just looked for '2007' in the c/n. This was the one that came up. The different N number threw me through a loop or two. Whatever happened to her import N number of N9949F I do not know. So there is a massive gap between her import and now.

The thing with data-digging, sometimes a different person gets lucky and stumbles/falls on the right source(s)! Grin

Our quest for knowledge on this old gal is not done yet though, we have got some massive gaps in her history. To make it more irritating I noticed that the N1508 tail number is on HOLD for that aircraft SINCE 04/05/2011 which is when the N number database indicates "sale reported". So who bought it I have no clue. I searched through all registered Lodestars in the US and she did not come up, which makes sense because the tail number is on hold for that airplane....WHY WHY WHY must they tease me?!?! Cheesy

EDIT: About the profile of N1508 compared to CS-ADD, the front 1-2ft of the nose does seem to have a shape change to me. The nose cone on N1508 looks altered/replaced. It could easily be the owner installed some fandangled piece of avionics kit like weather radar. Lips Sealed

.....shame on him.... Wink

‎"At that time [1909] the chief engineer was almost always the chief test pilot as well. That had the fortunate result of eliminating poor engineering early in aviation."- Igor Sikorsky

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