fesmokie

I am trying to find any pic's or press coverage of tha Spirit of J&B.

What is the Spirit of J&B you ask?

It was a 1938 Lockheed L-18 that was restored and then in June 18 1987 it with a crew of 4, flew around the world in an attempt to break the record set by Howard Hughes in 1938 with an L-14. The project was a success.

The aircraft was ferried to France (Creil) first where the restoration began then eventually ended up in Reims for finale work. The aircraft made several promotional flights around Europe and Press conferences were held in each of these places.

If anyone out there has any pictures taken of this craft during this period of time or knows of anyone who does...please PM me.

Thank you all very much in advance.

treadigraph

Certainly saw it at the Paris Air Show that year - whether I took a pic or not... I'll have a root around in the loft. Aircraft is now with Sabena Old Timers being rebuilt again isn't it?

forget

I know ....... but I can't resist.

Kenworth Spirit of J & B. 'Don't forget the J & B'.

S'land

There are a couple of photographs here:

http://www.wingnet.org/rtw/rtw007s.htm

1970s Spotter

I think that the SABENA Old Timers Association may have ground to a halt as I have not heard from them for years and their e-mails get bounced back. Pretty sure that N7001 is in BRU though.

See here:

http://www.bamfbamrs.be/SOT/Lodestaruk.pdf

fesmokie

Thank's so far for the response however I do have all the stuff from Sabena and the Wingnet web site.

What I'm really looking for is just a few of the thousands of pics that were taken of the aircraft while it was in France or any of the other places in Europe it was flown to while it had the J&B paint job on it. It was also in Las Palmas and Tennerife in April 0f 1987.

" treadigraph" if you find the pics in the loft I would be quite gratefull if you would share.

Thanks again everyone.

old,not bold

Slightly off-thread but, in case you're interested, Duncan Baker used to have a Lodestar at Exeter, and for all I know still does.

The airport management would know, and/or Exeter Flying Club.

treadigraph

Duncan "Lanzair" and "Connie" (I think) Baker used to have N500LN, a Howard 500 L18 conversion at Exeter. Still around?

Fesmokie, don;t hold your breath but you never know!

old,not bold

That's the aircraft I had in mind........

matspart3

Le Bourget 1987

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../JBElectra.jpg

fesmokie

Thank you very much !!!! That's just what I,m looking for. Do you have any others? I don't want to appear greedy but I am.

barit1

The Howard 500 was modified from the PV-1 Ventura, which was derived from the L-18, but was a substantially "hotter" aircraft. For one thing, the PV-1 (& PV-2) had P&W R-2800's, vs. R-1820s or R-1830s on the Lodestar. The wingspan remained 65 ft., but the chord was greater.

But except for cruising speed, you might have trouble telling them apart in the air.

matspart3

Sorry, that's my only one...I have a vague recollection of it being parked quite awkwardly from a photographic point of view...

treadigraph

Fesmokie, I'll try and have a shuftie in the loft tonight (apart from being chaos up there it's ******* freezing!). I reckon it would be pretty similar to Matspart3's photo but might be a little more from the side.

I can only ever remember seeing N500LN on one occasion when it rocketed over my home on its way to one of the West Malling shows which for some reason I didn't attend... That must have been at least twenty years ago; it's certainly been here for quite a while, still down at Exeter?

OH-SIR/G-BMEW was at North Weald for a while with Aces High around 1986.

treadigraph

Fesmokie, sorry mate, had a poke around the loft last night and couldn't find it or any of the others I took on that trip - I suspect it either got mislaid when I moved in or it's deeply buried in a crate of old magazines or other domestic detritus.

Found this and this via Google. Any help?

On the plus side I did find a pic of my niece riding her favourite horse that she has been pestering me to unearth for the last decade... And a book I've been hunting for on and off for the last six months...

Cheers from a dusty Treadders

fesmokie

Thank you very much for looking and, the pic from Air Britain is one I don't have plus, there is a contact email address so I will try that.

It's good you found your Niece the pic cause it's good to keep peace with the niece. lol.

Thanx again and cheers to you too.