"Star of Switzerland" - The most unusual Club-Aircraft in the world

kburkhard

kburkhard

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 27, 2016
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11
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Germany
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Display name:
Kilo-Bravo
With a wingspan of 37,40 m, a length of 34,34 m, an empty-weight of 31.752,000 kg and a MTOW of 54.431,000 kg, in the eyes of aviation-enthusiasts, she always was and still is, the most elegant aircraft in the world - the "Queen of the Skies". And operating an aircraft like this as a Club-Aircraft, she sure is the most unusual one in the world.
Read the whole story at:
http://ul-segelflug.de/buecherecke/...-most-unusual-club-aircraft-in-the-world.html

Further more, the "Columbine III" surely is the most prominent Presidential Aircraft and the only Lockheed VC-121E ever build. She served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower´s personal airplane from 1954 until he left office in January 1961. She also was the second presidential aircraft, using the official callsign "Air Force One".
Read the whole story at:
http://ul-segelflug.de/connie/colum...-most-prominent-constellation-ever-build.html

Hope you like it!

Best regards from Germany

Klaus
 
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Decimals being used as integer/decimal separators and as a thousands holder makes things confusing.
 
I always loved the Super Connies, so much so that I might have to join that Swiss club. The one Luftansia is rebuilding in New Hampshire is one of three previously owned by Maurice Roundy. One is in Florida at Kermit Weeks museum and the others were bought by Luftansia. I saw them when Maurice owned them. They had both seen better days. Thanks to Luftansia, one of them will be flying soon.
Luftansia has one is in the shop and due to fly sometime late this year. The other is outside and playing organ donor.
It's a shame the aren't more around, even free standing in museum but I would much rather see them flying.
 
MAKG1 said:
That's how it's done in German speaking countries. They would say the same about you using commas as separators and periods as decimals.
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Yes, but in the original post, they used a period for _both_ functions.

I was thinking "yes, this is a very large, but light aircraft!"
 
EdFred said:
Decimals being used as integer/decimal separators and as a thousands holder makes things confusing.
Click to expand...
Thanks EdFred for your advice. Mistakes have been corrected.
As I´m not an English native-speeker, but like to improve my writing continously, please be invited to report any other mistakes in the article back to me. I´m sure, there are many more mistakes in spelling or expression. But I do hope, that besides those mistakes, you might have liked the content of the story itself.

@MAKG1 - thanks for your support!

Best regards from Germany

Klaus
 
dans2992 said:
Yes, but in the original post, they used a period for _both_ functions.

I was thinking "yes, this is a very large, but light aircraft!"
Click to expand...

I was thinking it was some kind of glider, and then though, "wait a minute, is this only a plane for kids because the useful load is only 20kg, who is going to fly the thing?"
 
MAKG1 said:
That's how it's done in German speaking countries. They would say the same about you using commas as separators and periods as decimals.
Click to expand...

3.456kg vs.
3.456kg

Which one is 3kg and some change and which one is 3 thousand kg and some change?

See the problem?
 
EdFred said:
3.456kg vs.
3.456kg

Which one is 3kg and some change and which one is 3 thousand kg and some change?

See the problem?
Click to expand...

Yes, I see your problem with our decimal point to make thousands better visible. I've corrected this in the thread now as well sorry.

Regards Klaus
 
Klaus,

After reading the article I was able to determine what was going on with the weight and length, and I am familiar with a lot of countries using decimals where we use commas and commas where we us decimals. But using them for both I was really confused. Thank you for making the change.

Out of curiosity because I do not speak or write German except for a phrase or two here and there, how does one determine whether it is 3+ or 3000+ if using a decimal for both the thousands and the integer separators?
 
EdFred said:
Klaus,

After reading the article I was able to determine what was going on with the weight and length, and I am familiar with a lot of countries using decimals where we use commas and commas where we us decimals. But using them for both I was really confused. Thank you for making the change.

Out of curiosity because I do not speak or write German except for a phrase or two here and there, how does one determine whether it is 3+ or 3000+ if using a decimal for both the thousands and the integer separators?
Click to expand...
We would write 3,35 m meaning 3 meters and 25 centimeters,
but 3.350 kg for threetousand kilograms and threehundred and fifty kilograms, one also can write 3,35 tonnes.

Regards Klaus
 
Klaus, I read German technical specifications regularly for my job. It's a lot clearer not to use thousands separators at all, that is, 3350 kg. Or to use spaces if you really need something (a lot of digits).

Though it gets pretty obvious really quickly what's going on when you spot the commas.
 
Love the Connie! In my opinion it's the best looking and sexiest ever. Flew on a C-121 (AF version) once when I played military football in W.Germany (it was when I was stationed there) from Torrejon Air Base (outside Madrid) to our base at Zweibrucken Air Base. As it was a military flight, all the passenger seats faced towards the rear. Supposed to be safer than sitting forward in a crash, and makes sense if you think about it.
 
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MAKG1 said:
Klaus, I read German technical specifications regularly for my job. It's a lot clearer not to use thousands separators at all, that is, 3350 kg. Or to use spaces if you really need something (a lot of digits).

Though it gets pretty obvious really quickly what's going on when you spot the commas.
Click to expand...

Thanks MAKG1, I'll remember your advice next time. No problem to write it that way.

Regards from Germany
Klaus
 
Another common source of confusion, which didn't occur here, is date format. German/European is "day.month.year" vs USA "month/day/year". That is why I always try to use "day then month abbreviation then year".

Thanks to kburkhard for posting these great articles.

Rode as a paying passenger on a TWA connie in 1958 on my way to Navy bootcamp.
 
Graueradler said:
Another common source of confusion, which didn't occur here, is date format. German/European is "day.month.year" vs USA "month/day/year". That is why I always try to use "day then month abbreviation then year".

Thanks to kburkhard for posting these great articles.

Rode as a paying passenger on a TWA connie in 1958 on my way to Navy bootcamp.
Click to expand...

Somewhere there's a restored TWA Connie. It's been to Oshkosh I think. Seems like I saw it somewhere myself, Sun N Fun maybe.
 
mscard88 said:
Love the Connie! In my opinion it's the best looking and sexiest ever. Flew on a C-121 (AF version) once when I played military football in W.Germany (it was when I was stationed there) from Torrejon Air Base (outside Madrid) to our base at Zweibrucken Air Base. As it was a military flight, all the passenger seats faced towards the rear. Supposed to be safer than sitting forward in a crash, and makes sense if you think about it.
Click to expand...

Hi mscard,
as former Lufthansa Emergency Instructor, I fully agree to what you say. Also airline-people know that, but as passangers do not like to be seated facing to the rear, seats are always installed facing forward.
 
mscard88 said:
Somewhere there's a restored TWA Connie. It's been to Oshkosh I think. Seems like I saw it somewhere myself, Sun N Fun maybe.
Click to expand...

Correct as far as I know. My latest information about this one was, that they had problems with one of the engines. Needs to be exchanged and they search for a useable other motor.
 
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