Warbird Information Exchange

A couple semesters back I wrote a report about Wily Post for an Oklahoma history class.
Growing up in Kansas, I learned a lot about Amelia Earhart, and her accomplishments.

But it just occurred to me that I know very little about the planes these two aviators piloted.

Both Wiley Post's Winnie Mae and Amelia Earhart's Vegas are a part of the collection of the National Air and Space Museum.
Earhart's Vega is on display at the original National Air and Space Museum building in Washington, D.C. The "Winnie Mae" is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

Wikipiedia says four others are believed to exist, at least one of which is still in flying condition.

So, what's the scoop on this aircraft and these four survivors?
Anyone have pictures or stories or links to more information about the Vega?
Let me see what ya got!

Just for fun, here is a photo I took at the Oklahoma History Center.

They have a replica of the Winnie Mae hanging with the Oklahoma Capital in the background.

Well... I have pics in my collection... somewhere...

Kermit Weeks has one in his collection and it is on display in Florida. The other one I know of is at the Henry Ford Museum up in Michigan.

Rumor has it that there is a COUPLE being built up in the Northwest somewhere! So HOPEFULLY we will see one flying again soon!

Hey Green Goggles... did you know that the OKlahoma History Center was offered the original Winnie Mae (on loan), as long as they didn't hang it and just put it on the floor? Talk about missed opportunities. They chose to pay $200,000 to build a replica instead...

BTW, I helped build the capitol dome that is so nicely framed in the background of your photo. Woo-hoo!!!

If you want to start talking vintage Vegas, specifically the Winnie Mae, we've got some fun photos that can help you out.

Oklahoma History class... are you in high school? I suffered through that class in Tulsa, with books that were printed when David Boren was governor.

kevin

Over the past winter we made an exact staitic replica of Amelia Earharts Lockheed Vega for the upcoming Hilary Swank movie titled "Amelia"

It was done so well that on set at various airports it fooled many Vintage Aircraft people right up until they looked inside.
In fact it was so good that Paul Alan , who financed the movie decided to place it in his Aviation Museum when we were finished with it.
It's there now.

.
...not Amelia's Vega but one painted to look like it at SNA-Tallmantz...

...July 1963...


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tulsaboy wrote:Hey Green Goggles... did you know that the OKlahoma History Center was offered the original Winnie Mae (on loan), as long as they didn't hang it and just put it on the floor? Talk about missed opportunities. They chose to pay $200,000 to build a replica instead...

No kidding? I hadn't heard that.
Definitely a missed opportunity on their part. Don't get me wrong, the replica is nice... but nothing beats an original.

But $200,000?

tulsaboy wrote:BTW, I helped build the capitol dome that is so nicely framed in the background of your photo. Woo-hoo!!!

Sweet!
What type of work did you do on it?

tulsaboy wrote:If you want to start talking vintage Vegas, specifically the Winnie Mae, we've got some fun photos that can help you out.

Ya man, post them up. I want to see what ya got.

tulsaboy wrote:Oklahoma History class... are you in high school? I suffered through that class in Tulsa, with books that were printed when David Boren was governor.

Nope, not high school.
Would you believe it was a class I took as part of my Master's program?