Super Connie being restored - for passenger service

[Teller1900]

In order to get the plane ready for flight almost 30 years after being grounded in Auburn, Lufthansa mechanics are now replacing every rivet and any panels that are corroded. They are also cleaning out the wings for fuel storage and replacing the cargo doors with original passenger doors.

When the restoration is complete, Austermeier said, the German company plans to use the plane for VIP rentals and regular passenger flights.

More here:
http://www.sunjournal.com/bplus/story/847352

 

[matthammer]

I want to see something like this in the US. Very cool.

 

[SCCutler]

The scope of this is amazing. I have read glowing commentary of the quality of Lufthansa Technik's work; this should be a real treat when done.

 

[weilke]

The scope of this is amazing. I have read glowing commentary of the quality of Lufthansa Technik's work; this should be a real treat when done.

Most of the work is done by LH employees on their own time. The company 'only' provides the space, tools, parts & materials.

 

[upstateny]

I want to see something like this in the US. Very cool.

I was going to ask what happened to the one that was trucked to the old Griffiss Air Fiorce Base in Rome, NY, but a quick Google search gave me the answer.
http://rbogash.com/connie.html

Turns out it was rebuilt for a static display, not flight.

[It caused quite a stir in Rome while being trucked in from Toronto. It missed a turn and had to be towed around town looking for a place to do a U turn.]

 

[kyleb]

Most of the work is done by LH employees on their own time. The company 'only' provides the space, tools, parts & materials.

I don't think that is correct. They have dozens, maybe a hundred or more dedicated personnel on the project plus quite a few major subcontractors. Lufthansa is spending tens of millions on this project, possibly as much as a hundred million. There may be some volunteer labor, but you don't run a huge project like this with volunteers.

 

[weilke]

I don't think that is correct. They have dozens, maybe a hundred or more dedicated personnel on the project plus quite a few major subcontractors.

It may be different for this project as it is off-site. Most of the work done back at their overhaul facility is volunteer time. It's a big company and 'metal and electric' employees have 8+ weeks off per year.

 

[Anthony]

Tom Downey flew in these planes. Maybe he can comment on the complexity of them. Seems like a very challenging project to me.

 

[Lawreston]

I don't think that is correct. They have dozens, maybe a hundred or more dedicated personnel on the project plus quite a few major subcontractors. Lufthansa is spending tens of millions on this project, possibly as much as a hundred million. Their may be some volunteer labor, but you don't run a huge project like this with volunteers.

The son in-law of a friend of mine is a lead-man on this project. He had previously worked in Wichita, for Lear. After moving to Maine he was with a Maine based organization, then got the opportunity to join the Lufthansa project, pretty much at its inception. Below, if I can find the images, are pictures of KB, when he was at Lear; and a couple shots I took of the two Connies when they were parked at the home of Maurice(former owner), just off the side/end of RW 22 at KLEW.

HR

Maurice's house, in one of the images, was unique. As one entered, at the left was a large bedroom. At the right was a LARGE swimming pool. As one walked around the pool there were several other rooms and a jacuzzi. Walking straight back from the entrance was another large bedroom, adjacent to the stairs. On the 2nd level was the kitchen/dining area; but the key design was that it appeared to be an Air Traffic Control tower. The north windows looked out onto RW 22 and it had vista views which to the left would show the White mountains of NH. As one would sit at the 90° north and west windows, at elbow-level was a continuous shelf of about 18" with running florescent tubes between shelf-level and the bottom of the windows.
The building was heated/air conditioned and the pool/jacuzzi units' water was heated by a massive unit which had come out of a hotel project in NY. The house was for sale at one time for 375k. I'd have bought it, but there was a running disagreement between owner and City of Auburn, that the owner wasn't allowed to taxi his Cessna and Piper off the end of #22 and across a small area of city property to get to his own property. (Plus there was a $6300 tax lien on the property at that time)

 

[Lawreston]

- - - better angle shot of the "Control Tower.)

HR

 

[Tom-D]

Tom Downey flew in these planes. Maybe he can comment on the complexity of them. Seems like a very challenging project to me.

Maintenance on 1 is a night mare, 4 guys 8 hours hard work to change plugs, that lasted about 50 hours. prop must be de-sludged each 100 hours,which takes 12 hours.

not a fun time in my career. I though I got sent to heaven when I got orders to Pt. Mugu and only worked 12 on 12 off 7 days a week.

 

[BiffJ]

Maintenance on 1 is a night mare, 4 guys 8 hours hard work to change plugs, that lasted about 50 hours. prop must be de-sludged each 100 hours,which takes 12 hours.

not a fun time in my career. I though I got sent to heaven when I got orders to Pt. Mugu and only worked 12 on 12 off 7 days a week.

Did it take 8 hours to change all 144 plugs or just one engines worth? Did you work on the turbo compounds as well??? I had an instructor in the CAP who flew 121's and super connies and said the TC3350's had some issues but he sure liked the power.

Frank

 

[Graueradler]

My ride from Kansas City to San Francisco on the way to Navy boot camp in 1958 was a TWA Connie.

 

[John Baker]

My ride from Kansas City to San Francisco on the way to Navy boot camp in 1958 was a TWA Connie.

Ditto, Ft. Ord, CA to Ft. Campbell, KY, 1959

John

 

[Jay Honeck]

Here's a pic of my wife, Mary, flying the MATS Constellation from the right seat back in '04:

Here's one of me, taken a few minutes later:

She sure was a beautiful bird:

Sadly, she's now mounted on a pole in South Korea...

I am REALLY glad we got a chance to enjoy that aircraft.

Here's one I took down the fuselage. Yes, I stuck my head out in the 200 mph slipstream!

 

[Tom-D]

Count the pieces of rubber De-Ice boot, there are 12 of them, cost of replacement, 1972 on one PMR bird was 250k and took two weeks at Lockheed's facility in Ca.

3 months later we sent the bird to Davis Monthan AFB.

Nice pictures by the way..

 

[AdamZ]

There is a Connie in disrepair and on static display at Greenwood lake airport in NJ. Oh she is such a sexy bird!

 

[Bobcat1]

Every time that I'm in the Lewiston area I'll check up on their progress. Maurice had three Starliners sitting outside his place at one time years ago.

How's the progress coming so far?

The guys working on the Connie are hired as full time workers for the project. They know that this project is going to be a one off and are excited about the plans for the Kestrel aircraft going into production down the road in Brunswick. They'll be wanting a piece of that when the Connie finally leaves.

 

[Pa28-140]

There is a Super Connie at the airline history museum in Kansas City. I know that it flew up until a couple of years ago and was a regular at Oshkosh. I don't know what its flying status is now.

 

[flyingron]

Travolta I think was working on one of these Connie-to-excursion air projects.

The project is going to be unbelievabley expensive bringing one back even to 135 status (which won't be good enough even for charter these days with the numberer of seats involved). On the other hand, you can take a DC-3 or even a DC-6 or something that's been in continuous service and get them back approved to fly passengers in much less money.

 

[Lawreston]

Every time that I'm in the Lewiston area I'll check up on their progress. Maurice had three Starliners sitting outside his place at one time years ago.

How's the progress coming so far?

When you're going to be in L/A area give me some notice. The little restaurant at KLEW is always a good place to meet and eat.
The project is coming along quite well, but slowly. I'd been at a couple parties at Maurice's house(referenced in my earlier post). I think I'm correct in stating that the 3rd Starliner is the one that was on loan(??) to some museum in Florida; and I think Maurice personally flew it there.

HR

 

[weilke]

The project is going to be unbelievabley expensive bringing one back even to 135 status (which won't be good enough even for charter these days with the numberer of seats involved). On the other hand, you can take a DC-3 or even a DC-6 or something that's been in continuous service and get them back approved to fly passengers in much less money.

'Lufthansa Foundation Berlin' already operates a Ju-52 in scenic flights. They do one weekend of flights followed by a month in the maintenance-hangar where the volunteer mechanics borrowed from the LH-Technik will do the required checks prior to the next round of flights.

They also have FW-200, a thirties era transatlantic airliner. That wreck sat in salt-water for 60 years and will be basically a new built. To get the remains from norway, the foundation traded a fully restored JU-52.

It'll be expensive to get the Connie back to flying status, but this is BMW-RR and Airbus money backing the effort, financial considerations are secondary.

 

[Bobcat1]

When you're going to be in L/A area give me some notice. The little restaurant at KLEW is always a good place to meet and eat.
The project is coming along quite well, but slowly. I'd been at a couple parties at Maurice's house(referenced in my earlier post). I think I'm correct in stating that the 3rd Starliner is the one that was on loan(??) to some museum in Florida; and I think Maurice personally flew it there.

HR

I'll give you a holler next time I'm up there.

 

[Lawreston]

I'll give you a holler next time I'm up there.

I can usually move on one hour's notice, to motor the 35 miles to KLEW, pending road conditions. In a coded scale from 1 to 9(alphabetically), with * equaling zero, my cell # is (B*G)CAI**DF for your reference.

HR

 

[KSCessnaDriver]

There is a Super Connie at the airline history museum in Kansas City. I know that it flew up until a couple of years ago and was a regular at Oshkosh. I don't know what its flying status is now.

Last I'd heard they were working on getting it flying again. Seem to recall it ate an engine and they needed money to repair it. I also seem to recall Travolta wrote them a check for the engine.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Last I'd heard they were working on getting it flying again. Seem to recall it ate an engine and they needed money to repair it. I also seem to recall Travolta wrote them a check for the engine.

Their website used to talk about the progress being made toward returning their Connie to flight status.

Now, the new site doesn't even mention her. (Or, if it does, I can't seem to find it.) And they're "closed for remodeling" -- since last September.

 

[KSCessnaDriver]

Their website used to talk about the progress being made toward returning their Connie to flight status.

Now, the new site doesn't even mention her. (Or, if it does, I can't seem to find it.) And they're "closed for remodeling" -- since last September.

One of the other forums I'm on has a member who is either part of the board of directors or very close to them. In his words, the whole organization seems to not have a whole lot of organization. I seem to recall that somebody got in trouble with the law about funds for the organization and improper use.

And, I think they put a lot of effort into the L-1011 acquisition in the last 2 years, which, I don't necessarily agree with.

 

[Jay Honeck]

One of the other forums I'm on has a member who is either part of the board of directors or very close to them. In his words, the whole organization seems to not have a whole lot of organization. I seem to recall that somebody got in trouble with the law about funds for the organization and improper use.

And, I think they put a lot of effort into the L-1011 acquisition in the last 2 years, which, I don't necessarily agree with.

Volunteer organizations like Save-a-Connie and the Airline History Museum are usually labors of love, with one or two key people acting as "sparkplugs" that make everything and everyone else work.

Both organizations are at that weird stage where they are likely losing their sparkplugs to old age. This is when a lot of these organizations simply go away. I hope it doesn't.

 

[Lawreston]

For anyone who came in late on this thread, you may not be fully aware of Maurice Roundy's(former) three Starliners. Take a look at

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-maine_starliners.htm

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-starliner_flies_again.htm

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-maurice_roundys_starliners.htm

http://www.pressherald.com/archive/...f-fancy-land-on-auction-block_2007-12-19.html

and: in the middle of the following story:

http://home.tiscali.nl/~t696805/conniesplace.htm

HR

 

[Richard]

I haven't yet met an org that doesn't lack organization. It's an opinion shared by many, even those close to the head. But somehow, it gets done.

 

[Pa28-140]

Last I'd heard they were working on getting it flying again. Seem to recall it ate an engine and they needed money to repair it. I also seem to recall Travolta wrote them a check for the engine.

Yeah, darn it! I was going to write the check but Travolta beat me to it again. :wink2: Then again, I might have been a few zeros short in my account. Thanks JT.

 

[cessna182b]

For anyone who came in late on this thread, you may not be fully aware of Maurice Roundy's(former) three Starliners. Take a look at

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-maine_starliners.htm

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-starliner_flies_again.htm

http://www.conniesurvivors.com/1-maurice_roundys_starliners.htm

http://www.pressherald.com/archive/...f-fancy-land-on-auction-block_2007-12-19.html

and: in the middle of the following story:

http://home.tiscali.nl/~t696805/conniesplace.htm

HR

I'm glad to see that the "Camarillo Connie" is still flying:http://home.tiscali.nl/~t696805/swissconniepage.htm

I recall that it sat for years in Camarillo with one engine on the ground below it's normal position. Later it was repaired, and I heard that the owner wanted to use it for charter flights - but the FAA wouldn't allow it.

Dave

 

[Tom-D]

FE panel on the WV 2

 

[Richard]

Richard McCullough, inventor of the chainsaw and founder of Lake Havasu City, AZ, used Connies to bring people in to buy houses at his new city.

The picture is the runway at "Site Six", the old Needles Site Six AAF. Beginning around 2003, grading commenced to turn that land into houses. In winter 2010 almost all the homes had been built (and a rediculously high asking price). The last bit of the old runway is no longer visible. The bar/terminal is also now gone.

 

[Lance F]

Very sad if the Kansas City operation can't keep things going with their Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation c/n 4830. I went through the museum and this plane in 2005. I was in heaven. Here's a picture of their plane as I went by in my Mooney, one of the panel and one of that honking
Wright R-3350-93 3400HP turbo compound engine.

When I was quite young we lived in NY and my grandparents in CA. We made a trip in one of these cross country one summer. For some reason I still remember changing planes at Midway. I have no doubt this experience helped cement my current aviation addiction.