Another Constellation heading to Australia in late 2012..??

Liberator · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:11 am **Posts:** 837

Earlier this week on Tuesday i got in touch with the Qantas Founders Museum in Queensland, Australia regarding their Catalina project for an up coming story i am writing and in doing some further research about the QFM Catalina ... i have come across some interesting news.

According to what the museum has posted on online.... the news seems to indicate that another Lockheed Constellation is hopefully coming to Australia later this year to the QFM museum. It has been a long term project and known for a while in aviation circles in Australia.

As shown on the QFM facebook page...

"Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach, Queensland ASAP - We are hoping to start to make her (Catalina) look pretty again in the next few months but... a 'Connie' has come onto our radar and that might take priority."

We will all have to wait and see what happens......

DC3R4DC47 · **Joined:** Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:34 am **Posts:** 115

more Connies flying anywhere is a very good thing !!!

WallyB · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:05 pm

DC3R4DC47 wrote:

more Connies flying anywhere is a very good thing !!!

Indeed.

Europe 2
Australia 2
USA, let me think...., oh that's right ZERO.

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:02 pm

The HARS team at Illawara have a great record with their Connie; but before everyone starts counting Australia as having two fliers, the Qantas Founders Museum have yet to operate any of their aircraft beyond delivery.

So far, several, like the Boeing 707, have been made airworthy (in the UK in that case) and flown to the museum where they're parked up for static display. Sometimes noises are made about aircraft being airworthy or available, but beyond some short-term demo flights between arrival in Australia and arrival at Longreach the 707 has done nothing since. (It is notable that Qantas failed to put the 707 up at the international trade airshow Avalon with their then-new Airbus A380, which would've been a coup; but beyond the PR people at the airline or Airshows Australia.)

Don't get me wrong, static preservation is a vital, worthy role, but a parked aircraft that never flies that was 'airworthy' some time ago is not a flyer.

- Aside from how 'good' it would be for the vintage scene to try and support two of the same type where it's hard enough to fund and fly one...

Regards,

gary1954 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:12 am

DC3R4DC47 wrote:

more Connies flying anywhere is a very good thing !!!

Concur, but I would love to see one on the air show circus in a MATS scheme. :drink3:

jwc50 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 28, 2012 9:24 am

I was wondering if the potential Connie is one of the C-121A/L-749A models in the U.S. Although I loved the MATS Connie from years ago (that shamefully went to South Korea to never fly again), if it is one of these C-121A models there are several military schemes other than the "MATS" scheme that I would rather see, such as the white top with orange fuselage band that was sported by C-121A's in the early 60's time frame.

In any case, the U.S. really needs at least one flying Connie whether in a military or civilian scheme. But any time a flying Connie can be added to the world's inventory it is a good thing. Two C-121C's have been put in "civilian" schemes, the HARS one in Australia and the SCFA/Breitling one in Europe. If another former military C-121 were ever restored to flying status again, I would like to see a military paint scheme on it.

I also hope in the next year or two we get at least one opportunity to see the Airline History Museum Super Connie and the Lufthansa Starliner in Maine fly together - perhaps at Oshkosh.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Sat Jul 28, 2012 3:42 pm

jwc50 wrote:

I was wondering if the potential Connie is one of the C-121A/L-749A models in the U.S. Although I loved the MATS Connie from years ago (that shamefully went to South Korea to never fly again), if it is one of these C-121A models there are several military schemes other than the "MATS" scheme that I would rather see, such as the white top with orange fuselage band that was sported by C-121A's in the early 60's time frame.

In any case, the U.S. really needs at least one flying Connie whether in a military or civilian scheme. But any time a flying Connie can be added to the world's inventory it is a good thing. Two C-121C's have been put in "civilian" schemes, the HARS one in Australia and the SCFA/Breitling one in Europe. If another former military C-121 were ever restored to flying status again, I would like to see a military paint scheme on it.

I also hope in the next year or two we get at least one opportunity to see the Airline History Museum Super Connie and the Lufthansa Starliner in Maine fly together - perhaps at Oshkosh.

What is the status of the Connie at the A.H.M.? Is there anything going on to indicate it will be flown again?

jwc50 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 28, 2012 4:43 pm

Pat Carry wrote:

jwc50 wrote:

I was wondering if the potential Connie is one of the C-121A/L-749A models in the U.S. Although I loved the MATS Connie from years ago (that shamefully went to South Korea to never fly again), if it is one of these C-121A models there are several military schemes other than the "MATS" scheme that I would rather see, such as the white top with orange fuselage band that was sported by C-121A's in the early 60's time frame.

In any case, the U.S. really needs at least one flying Connie whether in a military or civilian scheme. But any time a flying Connie can be added to the world's inventory it is a good thing. Two C-121C's have been put in "civilian" schemes, the HARS one in Australia and the SCFA/Breitling one in Europe. If another former military C-121 were ever restored to flying status again, I would like to see a military paint scheme on it.

I also hope in the next year or two we get at least one opportunity to see the Airline History Museum Super Connie and the Lufthansa Starliner in Maine fly together - perhaps at Oshkosh.

What is the status of the Connie at the A.H.M.? Is there anything going on to indicate it will be flown again?

The Museum runs all the engines periodically and they claim the goal is to fly it eventually. I think that they do not have as much skilled manpower available as they used to and this is not an easy project. The have said they are working to meet FAA requirements and get it back in the air so I am CAUTIOUSLY hopeful this will happen. The Museum seems to be more involved with everything but flying airplanes at the present, but I hope that changes.

jwc50 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 1:25 pm

In case any of you Connie fans are not aware of the tremendous project being undertaken by Lufthansa up in Maine, here is a link to the thread in the "Vintage Aviation" sub forum. The L-1649A Starliner was a strictly civilian airplane but it is the ULTIMATE version of the Connie and is without a doubt the most elaborate "Connie" restoration project ever undertaken.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=36692&start=15

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:44 am

Or could it be the late "Winky" Crawford's old C-121J which has been laid up in Manila for many years? This aircraft is for sale and can hopefully be saved before the evil man with a torch arrives.

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/N4247K.htm

T J

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Another Constellation heading to Australia in late 2012..??

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