|
Rescuing Curvaceous Connie
I look forward to seeing her restored.
From Seattle Times: Inside Boeing's old Plant 2 building on East Marginal Way, former Boeing executive and sometime company gadfly Bob Bogash led a reporter on a tour Saturday of what he considers "the most beautiful airplane ever built." Built not by Boeing but by Lockheed Martin, the plane is a Super Constellation, or "Connie." Its distinctive retro beauty includes wingtip fuel pods and a tail with triple vertical fins. Bogash gushed over the "long, sinuous, curvaceous and sensual" fuselage that's reminiscent of the lines of a dolphin — the product he says of "the engineer as an artist." Local News | Curvaceous 'Connie' plane rescued from oblivion | Seattle Times Newspaper |
Be sure and visit Kansas City Downtown airport's airline museum, home of the Save A Connie (as well as a DC3, Martin 404, and a wealth of ancient airline, mostly TWA memorabilia. Docents will walk you through the pax cabin of the Connie.
|
Twice I've seen working Connies, both times it was Adkins out of McAllen, TX (long gone.) First time the plane was on the ramp at DFW and a couple Feds were ramping it while a motor for a boat in Ensenada was loaded. The second time was a RVR 1800 night at IAH. You heard it coming down the taxiway before you saw it, rumbling and burping. Expander tube brakes screeching. Finally a dim taxi light appeared out of the mist with little flames licking the exhaust stacks. I've got no idea where that plane ended up.
|
Certainly the Connie is in the top five sexiest airplanes ever built.
YouTube - Flying with Arthur Godfrey 1953 Vintage Aviation Film Eastern Air Lines Lockheed Constellation (and if you want a song about the Martin 4-0-4 Silver Eagle seen in the video as operated by Southern Airways click on the link at the bottom SO404 Welcome To Southern Airways) Frankly, the reason I am less and less enamored with flying today is planes have lost their artistic lines and have gotten too automated (but I guess my aviatar shows that http://www.hermantheduck.org/). Oh well, guess I am just too romantic: I'd rather sail on a square rigger than the Love Boat. |
Originally Posted by FlyJSH
(Post 745601)
Certainly the Connie is in the top five sexiest airplanes ever built.
YouTube - Flying with Arthur Godfrey 1953 Vintage Aviation Film Eastern Air Lines Lockheed Constellation (and if you want a song about the Martin 4-0-4 Silver Eagle seen in the video as operated by Southern Airways click on the link at the bottom SO404 Welcome To Southern Airways) Frankly, the reason I am less and less enamored with flying today is planes have lost their artistic lines and have gotten too automated (but I guess my aviatar shows that North Central Airlines history - hermantheduck.org - home page). Oh well, guess I am just too romantic: I'd rather sail on a square rigger than the Love Boat. DC-6 and -7 are up there on the sexiness factor too. |
Originally Posted by FlyJSH
(Post 745601)
Certainly the Connie is in the top five sexiest airplanes ever built.
YouTube - Flying with Arthur Godfrey 1953 Vintage Aviation Film Eastern Air Lines Lockheed Constellation At min 21 the capt. sets it up for cruise and busts out a pack of cigarettes. Awesome, I love it. :D |
"A couple hours have gone by... a little snooze... and now I'll show you how we deal with our approach and landing..."
Different times, for sure. |
Originally Posted by jcaplins
(Post 746307)
At min 21 the capt. sets it up for cruise and busts out a pack of cigarettes. Awesome, I love it. :D
"Oh boy, this is the life." 0.o Anyone know if cockpits had ashtrays back then? |
Originally Posted by jcaplins
(Post 746307)
At min 21 the capt. sets it up for cruise and busts out a pack of cigarettes. Awesome, I love it. :D
And I don't know how you'd get 300 mph out of a Martin, Vne is 261 kts. Normal cruise was about 190 which is why Convairs ate their lunch, getting 200 knots for the same fuel burn. |
Originally Posted by Twin Wasp
(Post 746331)
And I don't know how you'd get 300 mph out of a Martin, Vne is 261 kts. Normal cruise was about 190 which is why Convairs ate their lunch, getting 200 knots for the same fuel burn.
That said, if you parked a 404 and a 440 next to each other, I'd take the 404. I'll pass on the big augmentors... |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 09:38 PM. |
Website Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands