Yes, it certainly is one that I definitely have to keep reminding myself about. Wonderful aircraft, perhaps one of the most beautiful things to take to the air. Lockheed Constellation and Super Constellation Survivors
Certainly an impressive aircraft though I've always associated it with teh Korean War - wrong, I know, because a few were used at the tail end of the war. Not sure about the most beautiful Andy. But then again sum people think the Bristol Brabazon was beautiful (I'm not one of them).
Agreed, certainly one of the most beautiful aircraft ever. For the last few airshow seasons we've been promised one of the two flyers over here in Britain, but it never seems to materialise; this year I think it ended up stuck in Greenland with engine trouble. However a mate from another forum in Australia sent me this photo, of Qantas' preserved Connie (note the feathered no.2 prop). Ok, Qantas never operated them when they were new, but at least they have a sense of history unlike a certain British airline which just scrapped its last 707 and its last Trident
Qantas bought quite a few and run them through the 50's/60's? [FONT=ARIAL, Helvetica, Geneva][FONT=ARIAL, Helvetica, Geneva][FONT=ARIAL, Helvetica, Geneva]Photos: Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
AR, they scrapped them? What the...?! "Our" Connie is owned by HARS ( Historical Aircraft Restoration Society - you'll love what they've got, wait for the pics to scroll on the front page for the exhaust pic and check out the "patches" on the Cat...she's getting blisters!!) and done up in a mostly QANTAS scheme. Quaint arse, as we like to call it, did fly Super Connies but not the Connie from new as you said. They obviously had good taste. A mate of mine, ex-RAN post-war, used to live in Sydney and when he and his family watched TV they always knew when the Connies were taking off as they'd fly between the TV transmitter and his house and block out the TV reception for a couple of seconds! You are spot on re QANTAS and its sense of history. I think the 707 that was recovered from the UK recently and flown to Australia for parking at the museum at Longreach was the first 707 operated by the airline! RAAF just retired the last of the 707 VIP/air tankers as well about a month or two ago. The HARS Connie comes to Kalgoorlie once a year on charter for the Diggers and Dealers conference in August. I was in Kal the week before but a good friend went down to the airport and took a pic of her through the fence while drooling. Must get there next year just to see her!
Wonderful aircraft, it was still being used in Vietnam as AEW/Command and Control aircraft. As for the Trident, there is one at Cosford and the viedo of UB40s version of Red Red Wine was filmed in one!
This is one very graceful A/C....must be, even the missus loves 'em !. Thses pics where taken at USAF Museum at Dayton (inside but very shiny !). I must say that the polished aluminium really suits Columbine, it must have been a real treat to see this one flying into a destination in the early evening sun. Columbine currently dominates the Presidential collection of 'planes that have been used by previous Presidents of the USA. The second one, even with the AEW stuff hung on her, still looks gorgeous and is in the cold war section. It's not until you stand under one of these that you realise just how big they are !
Heres a few more, taken at Oshkosh....you can tell by the glorious sun outside !. Can any one advise on the two huge cooling fans in the cockpit shot....where they original equipment (did the sharp end get that hot in operation ?) or are they a 'field mod' for use in hot climes ?. I
