1/48 Lockheed Vega “Winnie Mae”

Description

This is an injection-plastic aircraft model kit.

Adapted from the manufacturer:

The “Winnie Mae” is a Lockheed Vega high-wing single-engine plane made famous in part by Wiley Post in the 1930s. The plane was originally owned by wealthy oilman F.C. Hall, with Post as his personal pilot. It was nicknamed the Winnie Mae after F.C. Hall’s own daughter.

With Post in the pilot’s seat, the WInnie Mae made its first entry into the record books by winning the National Air Race Derby, flying from Los Angeles to Chicago in 9 hours, 9 minutes, and 4 seconds on Aug. 27th, 1930.

On the 23rd of June, 1931, Post, along with navigator Harold Gatty, took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, NY and flew the Winnie Mae around the world in a record-breaking 8 days, 15 hours and 51 minutes, arriving back on July 1st.

After the record-breaking around-the-world flight, Post decided to try a solo run in the Winnie Mae and beat his previous speed record. The plane was modified with a radio compass and autopilot device from the Sperry Gyroscope Company and U.S. Army. On July 22, 1933, Post and the Winnie Mae became the first to fly around the world solo, and also beat their previous record by 21 hours in a time of 7 days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes.

The Winnie Mae’s final record-breaking flight was on March 15, 1935, when Post reached a speed of 340mph (547 km/h) in a sub-stratosphere flight from Los Angeles to Cleveland. The Smithsonian acquired the Winnie Mae in 1936 after Post’s death.

This kit includes decals listing all of the Winnie Mae’s record-breaking flights and stops along the way.