With her long legs and her shapely curves, Connie (the Lockheed Constellation) is one of the most beautiful and one of the most recognisable airliners ever built. The �long legs� were metaphorical as well as literal � she was the first Transatlantic airliner to be able to fly non-stop from New York to London. She was the first airliner to have a pressurised cabin and cruise at 250 knots, and she changed the face of commercial aviation forever.

Image awaiting creator's permission

There were 856 Connies built. Queen of the Skies and hard-working skivvy, Amazon Warrior and mercenaries' moll, she undertook all sorts of roles � from Presidential Flyer to crop-duster; from Airborne Early Warning to gun-running.

This thread is a tribute to Connie. If you come across her in your travels, drop me a placemark, either in this thread or as a standalone. I�ll do the research and find the images, you get the credit. Just click on the GE placemark to find the story.

Cheers

Frank

I am indebted to Mr Ralph M Pettersen, owner and compiler of the excellent Constellation website Constellation Survivors for his kind permission to quote his text and display images from his website.

I am equally indebted to Mr David Morrell of Avid Creations for his generous permission to use the above image of the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society's Connie taxying at night, perhaps the most beautiful image of the most beautiful airliner in the world.

This poor old girl was Queen of Miami. Now, with a broken main spar, she lies rotting in the hot, humid salt-laden air of Puerto Rico, the worst kind of climate for an unprotected aeroplane. Click on the GE placemark for the story.

Alas, poor Connie.

Hi Frank

I wrote this post a couple of days ago, about a Connie I found at Greenwood Lake Airport.

I saw it, Clorius, and it's half-written up already!

Cheers

Frank

I think I have found one of the four still-flying Connies. She is based at Camarillo, CA. This web page has some info (near the bottom).

Can we try that one again, Cap'n - your placemark takes me to the Shetlands!

Cheers

Frank

This Connie was Queen of Air France's fleet, and is now a flight school office. She's reported to be fairly corrosion-free, but the fact that the conversion to a restaurant meant cutting large doors in her front and rear fuselage makes it unlikely that she'll ever be airworthy again. Click on the GE placemark to see the story.

The Sat picture is obviously more recent than the pictures in the placemark. It tickles me how they've re-surfaced the hard-top around her, rather than moving her and doing a proper job!

Thanks to Clorius for this one.

Cheers

Frank

This old girl was in a pretty sorry state and need most of her underside re-skinning as well as other extensive restoration. And they haven't learned, have they? They've still got her parked on grass.

She's been subjected to Vandal attacks a couple of times. Funny, I though they were further north, between the Elbe and the Vistula...

This is a heartwarming tale. For more than 8 years, Dutch Connie lay unloved in a corner in Avra Valley, next to the D-M boneyard. At last a Dutch museum came up with the money to restore her to airworthy condition. It wasn't easy, but they got there, and she made the long haul across the Atlantic to Europe, where she was fully restored to KLM fit.



She flew again as the Flying Dutchman on 2 Jul 2004, hopefully to delight millions of Europeans for a long time to come.

Gorgeous pic. I flew 1400 in the Navy WV2 version. 63-65.