Conqueror Gamma conversion completed (modifed Williams Bros. Northrop Gamma)

(for the step-by-step building/conversion article, please go here:

http://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2017/04/northrop-gamma-2g-conqueror-engine.html

Quintessential Deco

The very polished lines of this Curtiss Conqueror-powered sleek Gamma are a thing of beauty. Radial gammas are equally appealing, but this is a variant I have never seen modeled.

The original plane, commissioned by Jackie Cochran for the MacRobertson race wasn't a successful one, and left Jackie Cochran without a plane before even starting. This was not Jackie's fault, the plane's or Northrop's, but of an ill-fated attempt at breeding more horses from the engine on part of Curtiss.

After several flops the plane was re-engined back to radial and flown in the Bendix by Jackie, who had to drop due to mechanical issues. Later it was leased by cheeky and sneaky (know the Horton Wingless story?) Howard Hughes, who beat some records with it, but sources state that the plane went up in smoke, literally, in a fire, later on.

The plan I followed was from the Spring 1990 AAHS journal, and there is a similar one in one of the two tomes of the Hirsh air race book. It is a good plan and I am glad there is even one, but, as all plans, it has inaccuracies, easily discovered when you check them against photos. Just one as an example: the reg. under the wing in the plan runs perpendicular to the thrust line, while in reality it runs parallel to the leading edge (i.e.: angled). The regs go parallel as said to the leading edge, above and bellow the wing, in all 2D and 2G Gammas, unlike Ellsworth's and Sky Chief's planes where they run span-wise, perpendicular to the fuselage.

This in not a really intricate conversion although it requires work, and as you may tell from the building post the replacement nose took quite some fiddling. The Williams Bros Gamma kits are ubiquitous and easily obtainable, and many more conversions can be attempted with this kit (besides the ones already provided with it), and I am planning to build some more if I can.

Regarding this Conqueror that didn't conquer, please note:

As X13761 it had a nose-top airscoop faring.

As NC13761 it did not, and had a directional-finder loop antenna and a Venturi on the right side of the fuselage, close to the front cockpit.

My thanks, once more, to Mika Jernfors of Arctic Decals, who provided the nice markings with his habitual well-printed, well-researched, detail-oriented work. 

It is a sort of gray day today in the Los Angeles area, with a beautiful marine layer overcast, but when the sun is out I'll take and post more photos.