Posted 8 years ago
ohmyflyguy
(83 items)
Eighty-Five years ago, in 1931, Wiley Post flew the Winnie Mae Lockheed Vega around the world. He set the first record for fixed wing airplanes to navigate and safely made the flight in 8.5 days. The previous record, held by a Zeppelin dirigible, was 21 days. The Americans were showing the rest of the world how its done!!
Wiley Post's airplane was produced by Lockheed who used the basic design formula for other record holders such as Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh.
Toy Dimensions: 10" Wingspan x 8.5" Long
The toy airplane shown here celebrates the Winnie Mae. It is a Wyandotte "VEGA" pressed steel toy (10" wingspan) produced in the middle 1930's. When it was found a few years back, it was obvious that it had lead a rough existence for 80 years. It was missing it cowling, prop, wheels, fin and its paint was replaced by rust. A good client requested that this old airplane be transformed from an ugly duckling into a graceful swan and live on in the company of his toy collection.
Wyandotte did give thought to improving their VEGA toy airplane. I had restored a prototype a few years back and understood their process.
I used mostly period Wyandotte components to overhaul this airplane. The process included the addition of those wheel pant landing gear that were so prominent on the full-scale Winnie-Mae. The toy is now sitting proudly under a Christmas tree near Philadelphia as a Lionel O-Gauge passenger train, full of spectators, passes by it every 20 seconds.
