Lockheed Constellation and Super Constellation Survivors

> there are about fifty-five “survivors” of the mass scrappings of the 1960’s and 70’s, with only C-121C VH-EAG currently airworthy.

Of those two mentioned, VH-EAG is owned by Australia's Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, and it is a regular visitor to the Australian International Air Show near Melbourne.

I've seen it fly several times, and also taken the guided tour through it.

It's such a majestic aircraft, and an utter joy to witness.

Here's a video of it in operation in 2017 - in the evening so you can see the flames coming out of the engines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taU6qu5pXBo

More info about it here:

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/VH-EAG.htm

https://hars.org.au/lockheed-c-121c-super-constellation/

From that second link:

In November 1991, HARS started what was to become a major project when 54-0157 was placed in our care for restoration and delivery to Australia. Relying solely on volunteer labour and aiming at a high standard of restoration and serviceability, the project was to take five years. The restoration work commenced in May 1992 at Pima Air & Space Museum and in September 1994 the Super Constellation took to the air after nearly eighteen years on the ground. Another solid year of work was required to prepare the aircraft for the Pacific crossing and in late 1995 final flight training was undertaken. On 3 February 1996 the Super Constellation VH-EAG arrived in Sydney after an incident free crossing of 39.5 hours flying time. Stops on the delivery flight to Australia were made at Oakland, Honolulu, Pago Pago and Nadi.

Absolutely beautiful plane. Reverse thrust was powerful enough that it was common to see them roll backwards slightly on the runway after landing. Eisenhower's presidential transport was one of these. The gear was so tall that they could fit an underbelly cargo hold to the outside of the aircraft

I remember a video of propeller balancing for one of these aircraft. It's massive, something like a 10-12 foot diameter, variable pitch blades. Using a buffing wheel, they polish the blades until they balance perfectly and placing a matchbook on one of the blades is enough weight to start them rotating.

One here in Seattle at the Museum of Flight https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/lockheed1049g-super-...

Beautiful planes

I used to see them at Cleveland Hopkins airport, but I don't know that I ever saw one in the air.

That may be odd, since this was long ago that people would actually drive out to airports and watch planes take off and land. It was easier on the ears before jets became dominant.

I grew up with the "Save a Connie"[1] plane and organization in my back yard, so to speak -- we lived about 6 miles from the KC downtown airport. I remember dad taking me down to the airport to sit on the river levee and watch the it arrive when they ferried it to KC. After that, I think I attended every public event they hosted between the plane's arrival and the change to the Airline History Museum.

I think I still have a bunch of their airshow flyers and other give-aways squirreled away in the basement somewhere.

Thanks for the interesting trip down memory lane.

1: http://www.conniesurvivors.com/N6937C.htm

I thought this looked familiar, and my suspicions were correct. The wreck of Pegasus near the posthumously named "Pegasus Airfield" at McMurdo Station, Antarctica was a Connie.

Crashed in 1970 with no deaths, the aircraft still lies partially buried in snow on the iceshelf about 5-10 miles from the station. People stationed at McMurdo still make little field trips out to the wreckage to take pictures and walk ontop of it, etc.

Here it is on the aforementioned website: http://www.conniesurvivors.com/131644.htm

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/N749NL.htm Is right nearby here (in Lelystad) very beautiful plane. Absolutely amazing is that it flew here under its own power after an in-situ fix-up where it was found.

As an aviation enthusiast, this website is awesome! Absolutely beautiful plane

I'd like to know what possessed the author to celebrate this beautiful plane in Comic Sans

there's a nice one that is now a bar at the Eero Saarinen TWA terminal at JFK...much better place to hang out during a layover than in the terminal itself!

Possibly most beautiful large plane ever made.