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| The L-749 Constellation and the L-1049 Super Constellation were operated by Qantas and these aircraft are covered in greater detail elsewhere on this site. This page remembers some of the more exotic Connies that visited Australia. |
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USAF VC-121A 48-609
(MSN 2601) at Essendon, Melbourne in October 1953. The aircraft was carrying
the Vice-President of the United States, Richard Nixon, his wife and a
party of State Department officials on a 72 day goodwill tour of 15 Pacific
and Asian countries. The original published itinerary had the aircraft
departing Washington on 6 October, arriving in Sydney on 15 October, Melbourne
on 17 October, Canberra on 19 October and Darwin on 20 October. However,
later press reports suggest that the aircraft arrived in Melbourne on
18 October and departed on 19 October. Richard Nixon was the running mate
of Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 Presidential elections. The Constellation
later became a popular attraction at U.S. airshows from 1992 to 2000 as
the "MATS Connie". The aircraft is now preserved in unfortunately
inappropriate Korean Airlines colours at Jeju Island, South Korea.
Picture: Captain Alf Fartch (ANA) via Maurice Austin Collection |
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Air India L-1049G VT-DIL
(MSN 4646) Rani of Nilgiris at Mascot in 1956. This aeroplane operated
a proving flight Bombay-Madras-Singapore-Darwin-Sydney arriving on 4 September
1956 and the inaugural service arriving Sydney on 7 October 1956 so it
is speculated that this photograph could have been taken on either of
these dates.
 Picture: Brian Reed via Eric Allen |
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L-749A N4901C (MSN
2671) of Capitol Airways at Mascot on 27 March 1965. This aircraft was
delivered new to Howard Hughes as N6025C on 25 June 1951 but it never
entered service with TWA. It was stored in a hangar at Burbank and its
engines were run periodically although the aircraft was not flown. Eventually
it was sold to BOAC as G-ANNT in August 1954. BOAC sold it to Capitol
Airways as N4901C in April 1958. By September 1966 it was out of service
and stored as N6695C. It was donated to the Bradley Air Museum in Connecticut
and delivered by air on 16 March 1970. Curiously, the aeroplane carried
two registrations (N4901C and N6695C) for the delivery flight. Sadly it
was damaged beyond repair by a tornado on 3 October 1979 and subsequently
broken up.
Picture: Eric
Allen |
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L-1049H N6936C (MSN
4849) of Slick Airways at Mascot on 24 April 1965. Originally ordered
by TWA, this aircraft was actually delivered to Slick Airways in August
1959. Slick sold it to Airlift International on 1 July 1966. On 22 June
1967 the aircraft was operating a contract mail flight from the Philippines
to Saigon when it collided in midair with a USAF RF-4C Phantom 65-0861
four miles north of Saigon. All crew on board the Connie perished and
the aircraft was totally destroyed.
Picture:
Eric Allen |
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L-1049H N6912C (MSN
4809) of Flying Tiger Line at Sydney on 4 April 1964. The aircraft was
broken up in 1979.
 Picture:
Eric Allen |
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United States Navy
R7V-1 (L-1049B) Bu No 131659 (MSN 4160) at Brisbane, Eagle Farm circa
February 1973. The aircraft was based at Naval Air Station Agana in Guam.
The aircraft was retired to MASDC Davis Monthan at Tucson, Arizona in
July 1974 and was subsequently scrapped.
Picture:
Brian Horsey |
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EC-121P Bu No 135753
(MSN 4320) at Mascot on 9 October 1966. This aircraft was operated by
the Naval Research Laboratory at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland
until January 1967 when it was retired to MASDC Davis Monthan and subsequently
scrapped.
Picture: Eric Allen |
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| YEC-121K
Bu No 128324 (MSN 4304) at Sydney, date unknown. The aeroplane carries the
name Sundowner. The aircraft was scrapped at AMARC on 18 June 1981.Picture:
Eric Allen |
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C-121J Bu No 131624
(MSN 4124) Phoenix 6 at Mascot in April 1963. The aircraft was
used in support of Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica until 1971
and was broken up at AMARG in 1979.
Picture: Peter Ricketts via Eric Allen |
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C-121J Bu No 131644
(MSN 4145) Pegasus 7 at Mascot in 1966. The aircraft was damaged
beyond repair landing at Williams Field, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica on
8 October 1970. The aircraft, with 80 on board, was flying from Christchurch,
New Zealand, on its first flight of the 1970-71 season. After making six
low passes over the field, the aircraft attempted to land in zero visibility,
with winds gusting to 40 mph in a snowstorm and in 90-degree crosswinds.
The starboard wing was torn off completely and the tail unit broken. There
were only slight injuries to five persons on board. The aircraft was written
off and the hulk abandoned at McMurdo. (History courtesy of Joe Baugher).
Picture: Eric Allen Collection |
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EC-121P Bu No 135753
(MSN 4320) at Mascot on 9 October 1966. This aircraft was operated by
the Naval Research Laboratory at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland
until January 1967 when it was retired to MASDC Davis Monthan and subsequently
scrapped.
Picture: Eric Allen |
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EC-121P Bu No 135753
(MSN 4320) at Mascot on 31 October 1966. Since its visit earlier in October
the aircraft has acquired a name. El Fiasco sounds grand but it
is probably not intended to be complimentary.
Picture:
Eric Allen |
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EC-121P Bu No 135753
(MSN 4320) taking off from Mascot on 31 October 1966.
Picture: Eric Allen |
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EC-121P Bu No 135753
(MSN 4320) taking off from Mascot on 31 October 1966. Since its visit
earlier in October the aircraft has lost its dayglo markings and acquired
the mother of all zaps on the upper radome.
Picture:
Eric Allen |
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EC-121P Bu No 135753
(MSN 4320) at Darwin circa November 1966. The large kangaroo zap has been
applied to both sides of the upper radome.
Picture:
P. Gabbett via SAAM |
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EC-121K
Bu No 141309 (MSN 4433) at Mascot on 21 September 1968. This aircraft
features two smaller radomes top and bottom for use by the Pacific Missile
Range at NAS Point Mugu, California. The aircraft was retired to MASDC
by March 1978 and was subsequently scrapped.
Picture:
Eric Allen |
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EC-121K
Bu No 141311 (MSN 4435) at Mascot on 28 September 1968. This aircraft
features two smaller radomes top and bottom for use by the Pacific Missile
Range at NAS Point Mugu, California. The inscription on the tail reads;
Pacific Missile Range Hawaii Facilities. The aircraft was retired to MASDC
by May 1979. On 4 June 1983 the aircraft made its final flight to Chanute
AFB in Rantoul, Illinois where it was placed on display. In May 2017 the
aircraft was dismantled for road transportation to the Yankee Air Museum
at Belleville, Michigan where it was reassembled by 26 July 2017. Thanks
to Mike Willmann of the YAM for correcting the previous report that the
aircraft had been scrapped.
Picture:
Eric Allen |
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One
particular Connie which always drew a lot of attention was the U.S. Navy's
Project Magnet NC-121K Bu No 145925 (MSN 5506). Finished in a glorious
white and orange colour scheme and carrying the Road Runner cartoon
character on the forward fuselage, the aeroplane was named Paisano
Dos (Friend No 2). Project Magnet began in 1951 with the objective
of mapping the earth's magnetic field. The aeroplane entered service with
Project Magnet in November 1962 and was retired in May 1973. Sadly, this
distinctive aeroplane was subsequently scrapped at Davis Monthan on 28th
May 1976.
Picture: Eric Allen |
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The
starboard nose landing gear door of NC-121K
Bu No 145925 carries
the flags of nations visited during Project Magnet.
Picture:
Eric Allen |
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Without any suggestion
of a curvature of the earth departure, Paisano Dos fairly leaps
into the air at Mascot on 24 April 1965.
Picture:
Eric Allen |
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Paisano Dos
tucks up her gear on departure from Mascot on 24 April 1965.
Picture: Eric Allen |
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NC-121K
Bu No 145925 (MSN 5506) at Sydney in November 1963.
Picture: Eric Allen |
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NC-121K
Bu No 145925 (MSN 5506) at Sydney on 24 April 1965.
Picture: Eric Allen |
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NC-121K
Bu No 145925 arriving
at Perth in March 1970.
Picture:
Geoff Goodall |
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NC-121K
Bu No 145925 at Essendon
on 3 November 1962.
Picture: John Hopton (p4600-0346) |
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VC-121E 53-7885 (MSN
4151) landing at Mascot on 3 October 1964. Clearly a special Connie, this
aeroplane was once President Eisenhower's Columbine III but by
the time she visited Australia she had been replaced by a Boeing 707 as
Air Force One. This aircraft was retired to the USAF Museum at Wright
Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio on 20 April 1966.
Picture:
Eric Allen |
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VC-121E 53-7885 (MSN
4151) at Mascot on 3 October 1964. (See above)
Picture: Eric Allen |
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| L-1649A
Starliner ZS-DVJ (MSN 1042) of Trek Airways at Perth in July 1965. The aircraft
operated on behalf of South African Airways from 7 May 1965 until 28 September
1965 on the South Africa to Australia run.Picture:
Merv Prime |
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Issue
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Date
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Remarks
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6
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10AUG22
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Added
the following images thanks to Eric Allen. VC-121E 55-7885 YEC-121K 128324 L-1049H N6912C NC-121K 145925 (2 black & white images) C-121J 131624 C-121J 131644 |
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5
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07FEB21
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Added an image of VC-121A Constellation 48-609 thanks to Maurice Austin. |
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4
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26JUL20
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Corrected the caption to EC-121K 141311. This aircraft was not scrapped and is now on display at the Yankee Air Museum. Thanks to Mike Willman of the YAM for this correction. |
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3
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16OCT19
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Added an image of Trek Airways L-1649 Starliner ZS-DVJ thanks to Merv Prime and Geoff Goodall. |
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2
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30AUG19
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Added an image of Air India L-1049G VT-DIL thanks to the late Brian Reed and Eric Allen. |
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1
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15AUG19
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Original issue. Historical information sourced from The Lockheed Constellation Series by Peter J. Marson, Air-Britain Historians, 1982. |
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Return to the Lockheed File |
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