RESTORATION PROJECT: The FIRST Air Force One (Constellation)

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

This video was forwarded to me today....

SPREAD THE WORD.... SAVE THIS BIRD ! ! !
(aka: COLUMBINE II)



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

 

[Scar59]

Got to kicks it's tires a year ago, there are a lot of neat one off aircraft parked at the Pima Air Museum.

 

[steelypip]

Interestingly, my parents and my kid just visited NMUSAF earlier this month. Mom commented that the one display she was not thrilled with was the presidential airplanes display on WPAFB. That said, they have Columbine III, which is very closely related to this acft preserved indoors.

There is no such thing as a Lockheed Constellation that doesn't need to be preserved at this late date. They're all beautiful, and they're all historic. As I commented to CGarbee on the catwalk at Udvar-Hazy looking down at the EC-121 there, "It's impossible to take a bad photo of that airplane." If this one gets TLC and donations because it carried a president around, well fine. But it needs to go to a good home somewhere.

Even better would be if somebody, anybody, had deep enough pockets to fix the spar rot problem on one and get it flying again. The only one I know of in flying condition is in Europe. They're even prettier in the air, and sound great, too.

 

[marchplumber]

I thought there was a "Connie" in flying condition "Down Under" also. Thought I saw a documentary about her flying from our West coast. Beautiful bird!

God bless,
Tony

 

[steelypip]

There have been, at one time or another, about five Connies in flying condition since 2000 or so. The problem is that there's a well-known center wing spar corrosion problem and you basically have to take the wing apart to fix it. Big money, and these airplanes are expensive to fly in any event. Engine choices don't help either - depending on submodel you got your R3350, or your R3350 with PRT (ugh). Both are expensive engines to keep in the air - just ask CAF about keeping FiFi flying. I'm guessing that all the flyers or would-be flyers are using standard R3350s. Another issue, of course, is that they are (or were originally, anyway) pressurized airframes, so there's a raft of mandatory checks associated with that.

Parts shouldn't be hard to find - there are lots of Connies still around in nonflying condition. The problem is that nobody has (or rather wants to spend) the jingle to put one in the air.

A little looking finds one or maybe two flying in Europe and one maybe flying in Australia. Here's a typical page: http://www.air-and-space.com/Lockheed Super Constellation survivors.htm

 

[Jared]

I spent a year flying over Vietnam and Laos in the R model (EC-121R). We were the relay platform for the sensors along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Really enjoyed that airplane.

 

[combatmech]

Kermit Weeks has a Connie rotting away at his place....

 

[Lust4GreenSteel]

There is an ex-civilian "Connie" at the Airline History Museum at the Kansas City Downtown Airport. I believe that it is in "near flying condition". It will hopefully return to the air soon.

 

[hndrsonj]

I flew in one out of Fort Worths air show in 96.

 

[Dodge man]

I spent a year flying over Vietnam and Laos in the R model (EC-121R). We were the relay platform for the sensors along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Really enjoyed that airplane.

What years and what position? I was RADAR tech on them from early 1973 till late 1975. Did most of our flying in SEA over Tonlé Sap in Cambodia but I went all over the world with them including to Florida to guard Pres Nixon when he came down here on vacation. Used to hear some hairy stories about some of the surveillance stuff that they picked up on the R models!

These is one at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City Fla that was flying a few years ago but under an FAA waver. It's got some serious problems. It sat at the Sanford airport for MONTHS while they worked on it.

Qantus Airlines has one that they restored. Last I heard it is in Australia. I haven't heard of one flying in Europe or anywhere else.

Wing spars were always a problem in them. We had one sitting at Korat RTAFB in 1974-75 with bad spars, It had grounded for over a year then. I don't know if they ever did fix it. Probably not.

I actually got to go aboard Columbine I back in the late 60s. Never realized that soon I would spend hundreds of hours on them for Uncle Sam!

I also personally sent 8 of them to the bone yard (DM) when the AF started phasing them out.

 

[SteveKuhn]

The video is making the rounds as requested. It was posted on the MTA member's list 2nd hand a few days after it appeared here. I hope they're successful with the restoration.

Steve