Roden Convair twin

My maternal grandparents followed my parents out to California in the early 1950's when my father was hired at United at SFO. They bought a ranch down in Central California in the Santa Ynez area.

My dad's father was deceased and his mother was living with her daughters/ his sister, so he used his United miles to let us go down to Santa Barbara a lot to see the G parents. Hawaii summers but thats another story.

The flight on 440s left SFO, down to Monterey (where we live now), followed Route 68 over to Salinas, then down Route 101 to Paso Robles and out to the coast from there, over the Point at Lompoc and down to Santa Barbara.

Often the pilots would get low and pass San Simeon, the palatial estate of William Hearst.

I've never built that Hawk kit, although it's attractive.

Dad has flown west and I no longer build models for him, but I did build a DC-4 in the early Mainliner scheme and a DC-6 in the later scheme. Both shown in that pic I posted. Schemes, no DC-4 there.

There's a Caravelle in the shed that I would really like to build. He was on the aquisition team for that one after the Electra order was cancelled.

Anyways, back to the Convair airplane. They were noisy and were way before aircraft knew what a loading bridge was. 

But I probably have 400 hours or so in them.

"G";

     I just ran across a vendor who usually does our fall Train Show. He has one of the old Hawk/Aurora kits for me. He said the windows are inset in the Fuse.That's the way I remember  it too. No open holes and the Cockpit windows are insets too. No openings anywhere!

Oh My!

 "G" that sure looks like the service ramp at old Buffalo, Municipal Airport.

B-36Andy

Is there a long wait time to get the Convair Liner?

 

There was.  I think it is common for companies to announce them before they are ready to ship, and some dealers advertise them well before they get any.  I think most dealers have them now.

Is there a long wait time to get the Convair Liner?

Thanks, nice shot.

I've been going through old photos in a completely unrelated research project. 

Here's one from the 50's. I can't identify the airport; maybe Buffalo?

I see. I didn't know about this one. Well, I'm slowly working on my Maquette kit so I guess I'll watch you build the Strat.

GMorrison

 

 

Don Stauffer

Have my kit, and the decals are due tomorrow.

On the other hand, still waiting to find someone on their B307!

 

 

 

 

How so? I have a nice set of TWA decals from Mike for the 307.

 

 

I meant someone offering the kit itself.  Everyplace I tried it was not in stock yet.

Don Stauffer

Have my kit, and the decals are due tomorrow.

On the other hand, still waiting to find someone on their B307!

 

Have my kit, and the decals are due tomorrow.

On the other hand, still waiting to find someone on their B307!

After flying jet fighters (F-86, F-100, F-104) for ten years my father took basic Twin pilot training for the USAF in the T-29 at Mather AFB, CA in 1960. I believe the T-29 was based on the Convair 240 produced in the mid 1950's. He later flew the C-131 (USAF transport version of the Convair 340 and 440), as well as the C-123, C-54, C-118, and the C-9. I would like to see a larger scale Convair with USAF markings. On another note, Lake Central Airlines flew Convair twins out of the Kokomo, IN municipal airport north of town during the mid-1960's. We lived there for a year when Dad was flying C-123's out of Phan Rang AFB, South Vietnam.

It looks like that is going to be a nice build when finished. I'll be watching.

Finally got my kit!  Took almost four months but it is here now.

Well, still have not received my kit yet.  Now it is supposed to arrive later this week or early next week.

Don Stauffer

I had been wanting to do the plane in a North Central scheme, but can find no evidence that NC ever had 340s.

I don't know, Don. I thought for sure North Central flew 580's, and I just read those were 340's and 440's with Allison turboprop conversions.

I had been delaying my purchase of the kit because we have had a lot of bills adding up in November.  But noticed several online hobby shops being out of stock and that worried me, so I popped out an order yesterday.  My wife will kill me, but....

I had been wanting to do the plane in a North Central scheme, but can find no evidence that NC ever had 340s.  They flew earlier models, and the 540, but I guess not the 340.  I did find a lot of Delta pictures, and even graphics of some kit decal sheets, so may go with a Delta scheme (it is the successor of NWA, the hometown airline).

What you've done here is what I do. The mods can delete a post, but it's usually not worth the trouble.

accidental post- disregard- is there any way to erase an inadvertent response?

gregbale

Lake Central had some overlap in service area with North Central, but mainly operated east toward Cleveland and Pittsburg. (Lived in the Cleveland area in the early '60s, so as an inveterate 'airport hound' the scheme is a familiar one in the memory.)

They also had a striking dark blue livery, but usually with red flashes on the tail and by the cockpit. I think they were taken over by Allegheny around 1970 or so.

 

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

Nice little trip down nostalgia lane.

Don Stauffer

I see Squadron's flyer calls the kit a 340, not a 540.  I do remember the 340s, just don't remember a 540.

I was most familiar with the 440.

Lake Central had some overlap in service area with North Central, but mainly operated east toward Cleveland and Pittsburg. (Lived in the Cleveland area in the early '60s, so as an inveterate 'airport hound' the scheme is a familiar one in the memory.)

They also had a striking dark blue livery, but usually with red flashes on the tail and by the cockpit. I think they were taken over by Allegheny around 1970 or so.

I see Squadron's flyer calls the kit a 340, not a 540.  I do remember the 340s, just don't remember a 540.

Don Stauffer

Sure do remember the Lake Central. My favorite Convair livery was the ruptured duck. Trying to remember the airline (names come hard to me at my age)- was it North Central?

It's neat we both have fond memories of some Great Lakes area regional airlines. In the meantime. It was the pale blue with the duck on the tail that is such a vivid memory for me too, and that is what I thought I was referring to when I mentioned Lake Central, Don. I loved that scheme so much that it is the essence of the local airport as a child to me.

I would have sworn it was Lake Central, and that's why I mentioned it. But I guess you and Greg Bale got it right, it must have been North Central. I thought sure I found a pic the other day of the same scheme on a Lake Central Convair. Wow, starting to hallucinate now. Neat-o.

Mike at Vintage Flyer has a great product. I've bought three sets and they are well designed. He normally includes window decals that have tone and highlights.

I wonder if its the same airline that was based at Amon Carter field in Ft Worth? Central Airlines?

My favorite logo for the Convair Liner was the "circus" type livery of Braniff of the early 50s. I remember these as a kid at Amon Carter. Vintage Flyer does this Braniff one for the DC-4, Convair Liner and others. 

Yes they have lots of liveries for a 1/144 Convair Liner already.

Don Stauffer

 

 

Greg

 

 

Don Stauffer

I am not a fan of the HA livery- hope I can find some aftermarket decals.

 

 

But they run one heck of an airline, IMHO. Other airlines could take lessons.

Say, speaking of Convairs, do you remember Lake Central Airlines with the pale blue schemes and duck logo on the tail? They remain a fairly vivid memory out at SBN (South Bend) for some reason. I don't know if you were in the area back then, though.

If you find any good decals, could you let us know if you remember, Don?

 

 

 

 

Sure do remember the Lake Central.  My favorite Convair livery was the ruptured duck.  Trying to remember the airline (names come hard to me at my age)- was it North Central?

 

PointerDog Decals (on Ebay) used to do a North Central 'blue' set for the Welsh Models Convair 580, but I have no idea if they're still available.

Greg

 

 

Don Stauffer

I am not a fan of the HA livery- hope I can find some aftermarket decals.

 

 

But they run one heck of an airline, IMHO. Other airlines could take lessons.

Say, speaking of Convairs, do you remember Lake Central Airlines with the pale blue schemes and duck logo on the tail? They remain a fairly vivid memory out at SBN (South Bend) for some reason. I don't know if you were in the area back then, though.

If you find any good decals, could you let us know if you remember, Don?

 

Sure do remember the Lake Central.  My favorite Convair livery was the ruptured duck.  Trying to remember the airline (names come hard to me at my age)- was it North Central?