DUTCH LODESTARS

Lodestar LT9-18 photographed in the United States prior to delivery. Note that the serial is presented with a hyphen after the "9". Effective from 16 August 1940, the presentation was changed with the hyphen appearing between the letters and the numerals however some Dutch researchers show the serials without a hyphen. For the purposes of consistency, this latter format has been adopted on this page. LT918 was destroyed in an air raid on Broome in March 1942. (Photo: N. Geldhof via Al Bovelt)

 

Because the Dutch Lodestars feature so prominently in any study of Australian Lodestars, it has been decided to present this complete listing to provide readers with an overview of the aircraft which carried serial numbers prefixed LT9.


Symbol indicates a linked image.

 

LT
MSN
LAC TYPE
MIL TYPE
PREV ID
See
Note 5
LATER ID
CALL SIGN
REMARKS

901

2096
18-10
R5O-3
-
01006
-
NTU. Del to USN as R5O-3 (Note 4)

902

2097

18-10

 R5O-3

-

01007

-

NTU. Del to USN as R5O-3 (Note 4)

903

2098

18-10

-

-

CF-BTY

-

NTU. Del to Yukon Southern Airways (Note 4)

904

2099

18-10

-

-

CF-BTZ

-

NTU. Del to Yukon Southern Airways (Note 4)

905

2100

18-10

-

-

NC34905

-

NTU. Del to Panair do Brasil (Note 4)

906

2101

18-40

-

-

-

-

Crashed at Soerabaja 07FEB42

907

2102

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-907

42-68347

VHCAA

Later VH-ARZ

908

2103

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-908

42-68348

VHCAB

Crashed at Port Moresby 26NOV43

909

2104

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-909

42-68349

VHCAC

Later VH-ARY

910

2105

18-40

-

-

-

-

Crashed Kemajoran, Batavia 13OCT41

911

2106

18-40

-

-

-

-

Crashed at Kuantan, Malaya in FEB42

912

2107

18-40

-

-

-

-

Destroyed in FEB42

913

2108

18-40

-

-

-

-

Destroyed in FEB42

914

2109

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-914

42-68350

VHCAD

Crashed between Townsville & Cooktown 14JUL42

915

2110

18-40

-

-

-

-

Destroyed in Darwin MAR42

916

2120

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-916

42-68351

VHCAE

Crashed at Archerfield 11OCT42

917

2121

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-917

42-68352

VHCAF

Crashed at Archerfield 22APR44

918

2122

18-40

-

-

-

-

Destroyed by bombing at Broome 03MAR42

919

2123

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-919

42-68353

VHCAG

Destroyed by bombing at Port Moresby 17AUG42

920

2124

18-40

-

-

-

-

Destroyed in FEB42

921

2125

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-921

42-68354

VHCAH

Crashed at Buna 30NOV42

922

2126

18-40

-

-

-

-

Destroyed in ground collision at Archerfield 17FEB42.

923

2127

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-923

42-68355

VHCAI

Destroyed by bombing at Port Moresby 17AUG42

924

2128

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-924

42-68356

VHCAJ

Damaged at Townsville 26FEB43

925

2129

18-40

C-56B-LO

41-925

42-68357

VHCAK

Returned to USAAF after crash at Bundaberg 15MAY44

926

2177

18-50

C-60-LO

-

42-108787

-

NTU. To USAAF as C-60-LO (Note 2) Later CF-CPA

927

2178

18-50

R5O-5

-

30149

-

NTU. To USN as R5O-5 (Note 2) Later N1813M

928

2179

18-50

C-60-LO

-

42-108788

-

NTU. To USAAF as C-60-LO (Note 2) Later CF-CPB

929

2180

18-50

 C-60-LO

-

42-108789

-

NTU. To USAAF as C-60-LO (Note 2) Later N13V

930

2181

18-50

C-60-LO

-

42-108790

-

NTU. To USAAF as C-60-LO (Note 2)

931

2182

18-50

C-60-LO

-

42-108791

-

NTU. To USAAF as C-60-LO (Note 2) Later N8000

932

2183

18-50

C-60-LO

-

42-108792

-

NTU. To USAAF as C-60-LO (Note 2) Later N58181

933

2184

18-50

R5O-5

-

30148

-

 NTU. To USN as R5O-5  (Note 2) Later N5202N

934

2185

18-50

R5O-5

-

30150

-

 NTU. To USN as R5O-5  (Note 2) Later PP-WAA

931 (#2)

2553

-

C-60A-5-LO

42-56060

VH-FAC

VHRDA

(Note 1) (Note 3) Later VH-FAC

932 (#2)

2507

-

C-60A-5-LO

42-56034

-

VHRDT

(Note 1) (Note 3) See LT932

933 (#2)

2608

-

C-60A-5-LO

43-16448

-

VHRDQ

(Note 1) (Note 3) See LT933

934 (#2)

2603

-

C-60A-5-LO

43-16443

VH-FAB

VHRDR

(Note 1) (Note 3) Later VH-FAB

935

2618

-

C-60A-5-LO

43-16458

-

VHRDW

(Note 3) See LT935

936

2621

-

C-60A-5-LO

43-16461

-

VHRDB
VHRDU

(Note 3) See LT936

 

 

A NOTE ON RADIO CALLSIGNS
For further information on wartime radio callsigns, one could do no better than refer to Geoff Goodall's Aviation History Site at the links below. Geoff has researched this subject over many years and his research has been updated as recently as August 2022. Feed-back, corrections or additions are most welcome, but it should be noted that changes must have a reference, rather than just a discrepancy with another compiled listing.
WWII Transport Aircraft Callsigns - VHC series
WWII Transport Aircraft Callsigns - VHD & VHR series

 

SOURCES
RAAF Form E/E.88.
Marson, Peter J., The Lockheed Twins, Air-Britain, 2001
Boer, Dr P.C., Netherlands East Indies Air Transport units of the Militaire Luchtvaart KNIL (Army Aviation Corps of the Royal NEI Army) and their aircraft in Australia and Java, 16 January 1943-1 November 1946, February 2020.
Francillon, Rene, Lockheed Aircraft since 1913, Putnam, 1987.
A list by John Hopton dated December 1999.
Additional notes supplied by Jos Heyman.

 

NOTES

1

The MSNs for LT931 to LT934 (second allocation) were previously quoted in the incorrect order. This page was updated on 05JUL22 to show what are believed to be the correct tie-ups of the MSN and Dutch serial number.

2

Seized by US Govt and issued to USAAF & USN.

3

Supplied under Lend-Lease to partially replace LT926 to LT934. Note that serials LT931 to LT934 incl were reissued.

4

Although several sources show that LT901 to LT905 inclusive were ordered for the ML-KNIL but not taken up, some researchers believe that these aircraft were never ordered by the Dutch and that the first Lodestar was in fact LT906.

5

A document from April 1942 lists aircraft assigned to the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron. Included on this list are the 11 Dutch Lodestars which are shown with USAAF serials e.g. 41-907. These are evidently interim USAAF serials which were allocated "in the field" by adding the prefix 41- to the three digit Dutch serials. This practice was common with impressed civil aircraft at the time. Subsequently they were retrospectively allocated formal 42- serials.

A list of ADAT aircraft dated 29 July 1942 shows the 11 Dutch Lodestars with the VHCA call-sign listed in a column headed "Plane No." and the three digits of the former Dutch serial number listed in a column headed "Radio Call".

 

Issue Date Remarks
5 25SEP22
The radio callsigns for LT931-936 have been updated from the latest research. See A Note on Radio Callsigns above.
4 13JUL22
Corrected the MSN and LT9 serial tie-up for LT931 to LT934 (second allocation) and changed Note 1 accordingly.
3 06MAY12
Added Note 5.
2 04MAY12
Added images of LT917, LT918, VHCAF, VHCAI & VHCAJ.
1 17OCT04
Original Issue



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