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Lockheed Lodestar ZK-BVE
Although Lodestars were used in New Zealand for civil aviation, this example represents their other use as heavy agricultural aircraft. They were used in this way by aviation companies Airland, Fieldair, and James Aviation.
Most early topdressing aircraft in New Zealand were small aircraft operating off farm air strips. However in the 1950s and 60s some companies began to use large multi-engined aircraft such as Lodestars and DC-3s. These topdressers were loaded at aerodromes which cut the cost of transporting fertiliser by road. MOTAT’s Lodestar was operated in this way out of Gisborne by Fieldair. The company was later taken over by conglomerate Airland.
Lodestar ZK-BVE has one of the most interesting and lengthy careers of any aircraft at MOTAT. Its career began in 1940 and it has flown all over the world, including North America, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific. The first part of its career was as a passenger airliner for United Airlines, BOAC and a Spanish airline called CANA. CANA’s Lodestars were taken over by the Spanish Air Force, who later sold this example to a company in America. It was bought from them by Fieldair in 1958 and flown to New Zealand where it was operated as a topdressing aircraft until 1969. After an accident it was donated to MOTAT in 1970 by Airland.
MOTAT’s Lodestar ZK-BVE in its Airland livery. Walsh Memorial Library collection, MOTAT.
Date: 1939 Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California Type: Twin-engined all-metal commercial transport aircraft Wing span: 19.96 m Length: 15.19 m Engine: Two 750 HP Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines Accommodation: Three crew and fourteen passengers
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